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The Transformation Platform (TP), a political pressure group, is gathering documentaries and audio visuals as evidence from xenophobic victims and their families in South Africa (SA) to use as a basis for prosecution at the International Human Rights Court in The Hague.

According to the group, the attacks were not the first being perpetrated by South Africans, hence the need for the world to stand up against xenophobic attacks since everyone was a foreigner somewhere.

The platform made this known at a press conference in Accra yesterday.

The T.P expressed worry over the unfortunate and continuous killings and hatred for foreigners in South Africa, because it contravened the fundamental human rights of people.

Propaganda

An executive member of Transformation Platform, Mr Kojo Korantwi Kwakye, called on the African Union to suspend the Republic of South Africa from the union until the situation of the xenophobic attacks normalised.

“This measure, when implemented, will avoid any reprisal attacks from countries who have suffered massively from the xenophobic attacks such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Ghana,” he said.

Lies and propaganda

He explained that the South African Embassy and Government had resorted to lies and propaganda to cover up the ongoing killing of foreigners in the country.

Mr Osmanu Guarantee, who is an executive member of the party, urged the SA Government to halt further attacks on foreigners since there were threats of reprisal attacks on their business, citing the closure of the South African consulate in Lagos.

He further called on the Government of Ghana to evacuate Ghanaian nationals from the country rather than wait for the situation to get worse.

Background

Shops in South Africa owned by foreigners were attacked and looted in East Johannesburg in the latest sequence of xenophobic attacks.

Many South Africans had accused the migrants of taking over jobs in the country, thereby denying the nationals access to jobs.

According to reports, about 200 foreigners sought refuge at a local police station after a crowd began looting foreign-owned shops in East Johannesburg in the night.