On April 18, South African President Jacob Zuma canceled his visit to Indonesia to attend the Asian-African Summit in order to end the deadly xenophobic attacks at home. Goodwill Zwelithini, the traditional king of Zulus, too has called for an end to the violence that has swept across parts of South Africa.

The attacks on immigrants in South Africa are a serious issue, because they have claimed the lives of seven people and forced more than 5,000 foreigners to seek refuge in makeshift camps. The attacks have also dealt a deadly blow to the peaceful coexistence of different races which South Africa has boasted since 1994, when apartheid ended in the country.

Many have blamed Zwelithini for making an impassioned speech last month to drive foreigners out of the country. But the Zulu king's provocative words, which he has said were "taken out of context by the media", only served to inflame the passions and intensify the chaos that had already gripped parts of the country, especially Johannesburg and Durban.