(Special for CAFS) S. Africa to release preliminary report on xenophobic violence by June

A preliminary investigation report on the deadly xenophobic violence in South Africa earlier this year is expected to be released within a month, South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said Tuesday.

The announcement was made after SAHRC Chair Lawrence Mushwana met in Durban with advisers of Goodwill Zwelithini, South Africa's Zulu monarch, whose controversial remarks on foreigners allegedly incited an outbreak of xenophobic violence that resulted in at least seven deaths.

"The commission is in the final stages of collating information with respect to the high number of complaints that was received relating to the recent violent attacks in the KwaZulu-Natal province earlier this year," said Isaac Mangena, the SAHRC spokesperson.

The office of the king agreed to fully cooperate with the commission in the course of the investigation, Mangena said.

The spokesperson said the commission had received a large number of complaints about the violence as well as alleged hate speech by the king.

"The complainants are alleging that the utterances made by the king could have instigated what happened, and that it amounted to hate speech," Mangena said.

In March, Zwelithini reportedly said foreigners should pack their belongings and leave the country, blaming them for urban decay. His comments have been blamed for igniting attacks on foreigners, but he insisted that his words had been twisted by media.

An investigation into the role of media reports in inciting the violence was also underway. Mangena said the king's office indicated that some media have since apologized to the king.

A comprehensive understanding of the root causes was very vital in eradicating similar human rights violations in the future, the spokesperson said.

The King's office's comments on the issues were not available. Endite