World Refugee Day: Naledi Pandor's address

Pretoria:  I would like to reassure refugees here today of our admiration and support for your strength and resilience in the face of huge adversity. It’s a source of shame to us that you are at risk in the face of anti-immigrant and anti-foreigner sentiment. Our brothers and sisters on the African continent played an important role in the achievement of democracy and freedom in South Africa. They extended hospitality and asylum to many of our exiled leaders and their families during the oppression of apartheid. The frontline states of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania and Botswana paid an even higher price for supporting the anti-apartheid struggle. Many of their citizens perished in raids into their territories by the apartheid security forces.