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SA’s brutal attacks on foreigners in 2008 part of a ‘planned operation’ − Mbeki
African Renaissance proponent Thabo Mbeki said the series of xenophobic attacks in 2008 were 'planned for a political purpose'.
Former president Thabo Mbeki. Picture: Masi Losi
Former president Thabo Mbeki claims the violent xenophobic attacks, which flared up in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township and spread to other parts of the country in 2008, were partly orchestrated by the government.
Mbeki dropped the bombshell on Wednesday during the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs’ (TM-School) student engagement event at Unisa in Pretoria.
The startling revelation is in stark contrast to the lofty ideals of the African Renaissance championed by the former statesman.
Mbeki on ‘planned’ xenophobic attacks
According to Mbeki, the rationale behind the “planned operation” was to drive Zimbabweans back to their country so they could vote Robert Mugabe out.
At the time, Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe failed to obtain a 50% majority in Zimbabwe’s general elections, necessitating a run-off election scheduled for June 2008.
Intelligence report: ‘It was organised’ – Mbeki
Mbeki explained that, as the president, he was privy to an intelligence report, which listed the people and motives behind the series of xenophobic attacks that made international headlines.
“There’s an intelligence report with names, dates and venues where people met and planned this and so on. It’s presented as a xenophobic attack by the people of Alexandra,” he said.
“It was wrong… It was organised, systematic and for a political purpose. I’m seeing the mistake we made. We should’ve declassified that intelligence report.”
Border management
Mbeki told the students that the economic crisis in South Africa is not caused by foreigners. He however stated that the country needs to strengthen its border management processes.
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The 2008 xenophobic attacks
The 2008 xenophobic attacks, which were accompanied by widespread looting and vandalism, left at least 62 people dead, 1 700 injured and 100 000 displaced in South Africa.
Within days of the start of the attacks on 11 May in Alexandra, the violence spread around the country, with Ramaphosa settlement on the East Rand becoming one of the areas which − according to The Guardian, witnessed “inhumanity on an unthinkable level”.
‘Xenophobic Afrophobia’
Towards the end of last month, Mbeki issued a staunch warning against the rise of what he labelled “xenophobic Afrophobia”.
He spoke out following the uproar surrounding Chidimma Adetshina’s participation in the Miss SA pageant and the violent UK riots which erupted in July this year.
Mbeki warned that the UK riots could ignite similar “riotous rampage among our own people!”
“Given the sordid response to the Miss South Africa candidacy of Miss Chidimma Adetshina, it could easily happen that such negative forces in our country could use xenophobic Afrophobia to engage in the ‘moronic inferno’ to which [British writer and journalist] Jason Cowley referred.”
Mbeki further warned that “should such a grouping arise,” negative forces would be encouraged because those who take great pride in demanding ‘Mabahambe!’, and others of their ilk, are now sitting in both parliament and government”.
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