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Zambia cancels march against S. Africa xenophobic attacks

Xinhua, April 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Police in Zambia have canceled a protest march against xenophobic attacks in South Africa, organizers said on Friday.

Concerned Zambians had organized a protest march against attacks on Africans living in South Africa.

The organizers had planned to march to the South African and Zimbabwean Embassies and present petitions.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is the current chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc and the African Union (AU).

Miles Mukumbuta, chairperson of the organizers, said in a statement that the police canceled the protest due to short notice given.

Zambian laws demands that police be notified five days before any public protest could be conducted.

"We also demand that our leaders in Africa act decisively over what is happening in South Africa to ensure such does not repeat because we live in a global village and therefore should be each other's brother's keeper," he added.

The organizers of the march dubbed "Black Friday" have however hailed the hundreds of Zambians that had continued to express interest in joining the march and indicated that the police would be notified for a march that would be held soon.

The organizers had also demanded that Zambians boycott buying things from South African chain stores dotted around Zambia as a protest measure.

Lusaka Police Commanding Officer Charity Katanga said the law on public assembly requires that police are notified five days before the planned date.

She has since advised that police be notified to enable the Service also prepare adequately to police the procession.

At least five foreigners, including a 14-year-old boy, have been killed in attacks in South Africa's coastal city of Durban. The attacks have since spread to other cities.

On Thursday, South African President Jacob Zuma called for a stop to the xenophobic attacks while AU chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma described the attacks as unacceptable and called for an immediate halt of the attacks. Endi