Following the recent spate of violence across South Africa, Police Minister Bheki Cele on Monday reiterated that government considered this form of behaviour to be “acts of criminality”.

He added that government was not denying the undercurrent of anti-foreign national sentiment among those involved, but pointed out that this was not the only factor to consider.

Cele noted during a media briefing that the perpetrators seemingly did not distinguish between South African and foreign national citizens when participating in looting, damaging others’ property or injuring or killing other people.

Although the situation was seemingly calm on Monday, Cele confirmed that government had put measures in place, while simultaneously aiming to ensure that all those arrested were “put through the criminal justice system”.

He would not be drawn on the details of the measures put in place, but revealed that, so far, 639 people had been arrested since the start of the violent acts in Johannesburg last week.

Overall, however, Cele reiterated that the solution to re-establishing feelings of security and safety, while simultaneously restoring business confidence, was not a “one-off” and that it could not be achieved solely by government.

Long-term success and “permanent peace”, he added, would be reliant on collaboration between the public, business and government.

The sentiment was shared with prominent business leaders from across South Africa – including those representing MultiChoice, MTN, Vodacom and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry – who met with Cele early on Monday morning to discuss the way forward.

MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter said the business leaders were “satisfied with the mechanisms [put] in place to deal with the volatile situation”.

MTN NIGERIA

Meanwhile, following protests in retaliation to the violence in South Africa last week, MTN Group’s largest subsidiary, MTN Nigeria – with more than 60-million subscribers – had to close all its stores and service centres in the country in fear of reprisals.

While only four MTN outlets were damaged in Nigeria, Shuter on Monday lamented that these outlets were franchise-owned businesses, meaning they were Nigerian-owned outlets.

As a result, Shuter said that, despite operating under a South African brand, these Nigerian businesses were now suffering owing to retaliatory protest action.

Additionally, commenting on rumors that the Nigerian government was considering nationalizing all South African-owned businesses in response to the violence in South Africa, Shuter said “no official communication has been received” from the Nigerian government.

He did, however, commend the Nigerian government on the assistance it had provided South African businesses following the start of retaliatory protest action last week.