President Jacob Zuma
Jacob Zuma on Monday took issue with the publication of images of a dying Emmanuel Sithole.
Sunday Times photographer James Oatway’s chronicle of the stabbing death of the Mozambican vendor in Alexandra on Saturday was apparently raised by the president during Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini's imbizo against xenophobia on Monday morning.
Geoffrey York‚ a journalist for the Globe and Mail covering the gathering at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium‚ tweeted that “incredibly‚ Zuma now attacking Sunday Times for photo of brutal murder of Mozambican man. Says it is ‘making us look bad.’ ‘
York followed this post with: “Zuma's main conclusion from brazen murder of Mozambican man: media should be ‘patriotic’ and not publish it. Hide it from the world.”
Zwelithini‚ many observers predicted‚ was unlikely to apologise for his comments that foreigners should “go home” which some believe led to the recent uptick of xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal‚ but would most probably call for an end to the violence.
This‚ however‚ seemed lost on many who gathered at the imbizo earlier on Monday morning. Many carried placards demanding that foreign nationals should return to their countries of origin.
Others - carrying knobkerries‚ shields and other traditional weapons – threatened to head to Durban's Point Road where foreigners last week took up arms to defend themselves against threats of xenophobic violence.
Three men were arrested in connection with the killing of Sithole and are expected to appear in court on Tuesday. A fourth suspect is till at large.
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