Delegates party to the township visit included Transnet CEO Maria Ramos, and Business Unity heavyweights Bobby Godsell and Jerry Vilakazi.

Gopal, representing SA’s influential commercial and industrial property industry, had some hard-hitting words for perpetrators of the attacks.

“The property industry wishes to add its voice to those of other concerned business leaders and condemn the violence unfolding in SA,” he said.
 
“We call upon our national and provincial leaders to come into the townships, informal settlements and city neighbourhoods that have been hit by violence. We call upon the police to work with civil society to defuse and pre-empt mob attacks against those who are helpless to defend themselves and their property.”

SAPOA’s call to action adds weight to other calls made by business leaders throughout SA.

Gopal pointed to the rights granted by the Constitution to protect immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers and pointed out his concerns about the difficult challenge  of now reintergrating the people affected by violence back into society.

“We call upon all South African’s to find better ways of resolving this sentative situation” he added.