Zuma to promote orderly migration following xenophobia violence

President Jacob Zuma is working to promote orderly migration and good relations between South African citizens and foreign nationals, the Presidency said on Monday.

For this purpose, Zuma will host consultative meetings with stakeholders to discuss the country's migration policy and how various sectors can work with the government, presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said.

The meetings, scheduled for this week, are aimed at building partnerships for peaceful and orderly migration in the country, said Maharaj.

The engagements will also take into account the concerns raised by citizens about the implementation of the migration policy, according to Maharaj.

However, Zuma has also emphasised that while understanding the grievances raised by some citizens, none justify the taking of human life as well as the destruction and looting of shops belonging to foreign nationals, Maharaj said.

Zuma cancelled his state visit to Indonesia on Saturday to address the current spate of violence gripping parts of the country. A total of seven people - three South Africans and four foreign nationals - have been killed and thousands of foreigners displaced.

Zuma has established a ministerial task team to quell the violence and to bring the situation to normality in areas that were affected by violence against foreign nationals. Endi