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Harare - Zimbabwean Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said Friday that South Africa needs to "critically re-examine its identity crisis" in the wake of the xenophobic violence that has swept through parts of the country.
"The essence of being African is not defined by geographical location," Moyo said in a tweeted reaction to a comment from President Jacob Zuma about Africa Day celebrations next month.
Condemning the violence that has displaced thousands of foreigners in and around Durban and Johannesburg, Zuma said on Thursday that South Africans were looking forward to celebrations of Africa Day on May 25 "in every province".
Moyo tweeted: "Only that May 25 not a public holiday in SA!"
As one of the few Zimbabwean ministers who is active on social networking sites, Moyo has been vocal in his condemnation of the xenophobic attacks. In another tweet on Friday, he said: "Africans who saw SA as an exemplary constitutional democracy now know it as a xenophobic place."
President Robert Mugabe, 91, has not made any public statement on the violence yet.
Zimbabwe is preparing to repatriate 1 000 of its citizens through Beitbridge border post on Sunday.
There have been calls on social media from Mugabe critics for his government to acknowledge the fact that many Zimbabwean migrants are in South Africa because of economic and political turmoil back home.
