Thabo Mbeki, the embattled President of South Africa, yesterday made a rare television appearance to condemn the xenophobic attacks that have left more than 50 people dead and severely tarnished the image of the country.

Mr Mbeki called the worst violence since the ANC took power an “absolute disgrace”.

In the address on SABC, the state broadcaster, Mr Mbeki said: “Everything possible will be done to bring the perpetrators to justice.” It was his first significant comment on the issue since the outbreak began on May 11. Much of the violence has been targeted at Zimbabwean refugees, many of whom have fled the economic meltdown in South Africa’s neighbour which Mr Mbeki is accused of ignoring in the misguided effort to offer support to the discredited regime of Robert Mugabe. He has been widely derided for saying there was “no crisis” there. “Now, there is no crisis here Mr President,” one political commentator stated after he failed to react to the growing violence at home.

The black-on-black attacks, which have seen foreigners set ablaze and their homes ransacked, spread from teeming townships outside Johannesburg to the rest of the country at the end of last week and an estimated 35,000 are now homeless. Many Mozambicans have returned to their own country, prompting the government there to declare a state of emergency.

Mr Mbeki, criticised for reacting slowly to the crisis, said that South Africa’s prosperity was linked to that of the rest of Africa and concerns about domestic problems must be channelled democratically and not used to justify violence. He added that the Government was opposed to segregating migrants in special camps.

Hastily set up refugee centres around the country are awash with refugees. Poor South Africans accuse the migrants of stealing their jobs and fuelling crime.

Mr Mbeki gave warning of a return to the country’s violent past in its struggle against apartheid. In the toughest words yet from a senior government representative, he said that the unrest had besmirched the image of the country and had soiled the reputation of liberation heroes such as Nelson Mandela.

He called for tolerance, peace and understanding of the causes of migration, but his words are unlikely to satisfy his mounting number of critics. Yesterday South Africa’s press called the events “ethnic cleansing – SA style” and renewed calls for him and his government to step down before elections due next year.

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