Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Zambian government has been cautioned not to downplay the scale of the xenophobic attacks being perpetrated in South Africa by assuming that no Zambian has been affected.
The opposition All People’s Congress (APC) says this is especially that there no official records that indicate there are no Zambians that have suffered such attacks in that country.
APC president Nason Msoni has advised that government should be wary that nationals from neighboring countries like Malawi and Mozambique carry similar names like those of Zambians and therefore it is possible a Zambian who has been attacked can be mistaken for a national from either countries.
Mr. Msoni has told Qfm News that the responsibility to deal with the issue of xenophobic attacks should therefore not be left to the South African government alone.
Nason Msoni
He says the Zambian government and governments of Malawi and Mozambique should alone side other regional governments should work together to secure regional stability with respect what is obtaining in South Africa.
The APC president states that it is important for these governments to be wary that an unstable South Africa is generally unstable Southern African region.
He says this entails that the region does have the luxury of folding its hands and allow things pile out of control in the manner xenophobia has escalated in South Africa.
The opposition leader thinks the South African government needs to be pressed to ensure that it acts in the interest of the people of the Southern African region.
He is of the view that letter writing and phone calling will not work in this respect but that what is needed is to done an immediate policy decision to be taken which should result in the South African government taking corrective measures.