Africans should live in peace as one people: Zuma

South Africa is committed to building stronger, more united and cohesive communities where African nationals and citizens continue to live together in peace and harmony as one people, President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday.

The South African people have demonstrated to the world that they support peace, friendship and solidarity with their brothers and sisters from the continent, Zuma said in his Presidency budget vote speech in Parliament.

The president devoted part of his speech to the recent xenophobia attacks on foreigners.

South Africa was gripped by a fresh wave of xenophobia violence last month, in which seven people were killed, thousands of foreigners displaced and hundreds of foreign-owned shops looted.

"With regards to the attacks on foreign and African nationals, we have directed law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice without delay," Zuma said.

"We need to send a strong message that our country will not tolerate such behavior, against both foreign nationals and our citizens."

The South African people have demonstrated to the world that they support peace, friendship and solidarity with their brothers and sisters from the continent, said the president.

"We have lived with fellow African nationals for decades without any problems, even during the period of apartheid colonialism."

"We will continue to live together in peace and harmony. We are one people."

The Inter-Minister Committee on Migration is attending to some of the concerns raised by South Africans, including among others the alleged involvement of some foreigners in crime, unfair business practices, drugs, and the influx of illegal migrants, said Zuma.

He emphasized that these matters are taken seriously by the government and are being attended to.

"Nobody must take the law into their own hands," Zuma noted.

Similarly, foreign and African nationals must respect the laws of the land and must adhere to the requirements of South Africa's immigration laws as is required in any other country, said the president.

Zuma said he has presented a report on this matter to the extra- ordinary summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government last month and assured the region of South Africa's unwavering commitment to peaceful coexistence amongst all African peoples.

Zuma has also sent a report to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights of the African Union on what South Africa has done to avoid a recurrence. Endi