Over the last few days, South Africa has been deeply saddened by a wave of violence against our fellow Africans.
We stand ashamed before our African brothers and sisters and before the world.
On behalf of all of us at the Standard Bank Group, I offer our deepest sympathy to all who have suffered and lost. We stand in solidarity with our fellow Africans.
We stand in solidarity with the great majority of South Africans who live by the values of our Constitution, which commands us to defend the rights and dignity of everyone who lives here.
Like many other South African companies, our businesses throughout Africa are essential to our success and enable us to tackle unemployment, inequality and economic exclusion. When South Africans attack their fellow Africans, we are hurting ourselves.
We call on all South Africans to support the authorities and civil society in their efforts to restore law and order and to ensure that all perpetrators answer for their actions in a court of law.
I am very sad that this is the second time during my tenure as group CEO that I have had to write to the group about xenophobic violence in South Africa. I hope and pray that I will not have to do so again.
The underlying causes of most violence are poverty, inequality and unemployment. Let us, therefore, recommit ourselves to doing all we can to promote social solidarity, sustainable economic growth, and human development in South Africa and throughout this great continent that is our home.
Africa is our home, we drive her growth.
* Sim Tshabala is the CEO of Standard Bank.
