Bartamaha (Nairobi):-President Jacob Zumayesterday appealed for calm, urging foreign nationals who felt threatened by xenophobic attacks to approach the police and help isolate what he called “criminal elements”.

The comments were a departure from Mr Zuma’s earlier reaction to reports of xenophobic attacks after the World Cup . On Monday, he played down reports of violence against foreigners, saying there was no proof.

But yesterday Mr Zuma called for “calm, tolerance and unity”, saying the spirit of the World Cup in which South Africans rallied behind Ghana should continue.

“Let us isolate all elements who may have sinister agendas, who may want to create havoc and sow pain and destruction in communities, especially foreign nationals residing in our country,” he said.

The Presidency was concerned about reports that some foreign nationals “may be fleeing the country due to fears of possible xenophobic attacks”.

Mr Zuma’s comments came amid mounting criticism of the government’s reluctance to acknowledge a threat that had led to the deployment of soldiers at potential hotspots.

Bishop Paul Verryn, whose Central Methodist Church in central Johannesburg has been a shelter for mainly Zimbabwean refugees, said on Wednesday that his church had been “much fuller than usual”.

“There are sound grounds for saying that there is a real threat of xenophobic violence erupting,” Bishop Verryn said.

“I have constant reports of harassment on trains and taxis .”

The Jesuit Refugee Services centre in Johannesburg said it was assisting dozens of mainly Somali and Ethiopian traders who were closing their businesses and taking refuge at the centre each night.

On Tuesday, the South African Institute for Race Relations urged the government and African National Congress (ANC) leaders to speak out and change negative perceptions that many black South Africans had about African immigrants.

The institute said there was no point in the government denying xenophobic prejudice as attacks had continued to occur since 2008.

Other senior government officials had also attempted to play down reports of the violence, cautioning that the “rumours” might become a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Last week, police minister and chairman of the interministerial committee on xenophobia Nathi Mthethwa said the threats were the latest “hysteria” that sought to discredit SA’s successful hosting of the World Cup.

Yesterday, the ANC condemned the threats of violence targeting foreigners, urging law-enforcement agencies “to continue with their good work in identifying these hooligans and detain them”. With additional reporting by Sarah Hudleston.

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Source:- Business Day.

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