Hon Speaker, yes, I think we are all aware of this particular organisation, but there are many that are at work in this regard, not just one or two.
There is a continental approach to this issue of the diaspora and the interaction with the diaspora. In fact, as one of the points that strengthen that kind of activity is the fact that the West Indies, as a collective of islands, have been given some status at the AU informally, and are to be regarded as a region that really constitutes a broader kind of diaspora outside, who are in charge of governments, etc. So we are working with them. In fact, in every other AU summit they participate as observers. At times they are given the platform to speak. So that issue is an issue that we are all talking about. You will also recall that we had a summit not long ago of the diaspora together with Africa to discuss precisely those kinds of issues. That is broadly speaking.
With regard to the specific issues that you are raising in regard to South Africa, I think the issue of xenophobia is one that everybody is very much aware of. Everybody is on the alert in that regard and it cannot be something that could get out of hand. If you look at the number of African foreigners in South Africa and make a comparison, you will see that the number is huge, and they are active in many respects.
However, the incidents that have tended to point to this issue are not that many. In fact, I think that at times there's a bit of an exaggeration, where people say that xenophobia is a big problem in South Africa. I think that is a bit of an exaggeration, although I am not saying it's not there, because, at times when incidents occur, it is seen, particularly when people react.
Foreigners are busy everywhere, in every corner of this country, and they are employed, and that feeling is not all that widespread. If you take the number of the foreigners that are in South Africa, you would say that the problem is huge.
There have been instances that people have interpreted as xenophobia. But South Africans have not been one-sided on the issue. Even with the bigger incidents that took place a few years ago, many South Africans protected the foreigners. I had an opportunity to meet with them around Pretoria and on the East Rand. These South Africans were very clear, some of them saying, "Please don't touch the foreigners." I think even with the incident that happened near Johannesburg there was a clear division. So you can't say that xenophobia is such a huge problem in South Africa, although we certainly need to look at it very carefully because of the of the foreigners that there are in South Africa.
I am sure that as a government we are doing everything we can to ensure that this issue is never a problem that is allowed to grow. We must make South Africans understand this, and we have been doing so. I think we should all play that part in order to ensure that xenophobia in our country is not something that we allow. I think all of us from all political parties should speak with one voice and say that we as South Africans are a warm people, and we receive people so that they can be with us. At some point they received us, too, when we were in difficulties. We must therefore find a way to work together, particularly in view of what I was saying about the continent of Africa and the countries on the continent. It is vitally important for us to bear in mind that the issue of xenophobia must never be allowed to get out of hand. Thank you, hon Speaker. [Applause.]