The ruling African National Congress has explained that President Thabo Mbeki has not yet visited sites of xenophobic violence because security experts fear he might be targeted by angry mobs. Mbeki has spent a total of 19 days in South Africa since 2002, and according to a presidency spokesperson most citizens now believe him to be a foreigner.

Mbeki has been severely criticised for failing to visit the sites worst hit by the xenophobic violence of the last two weeks, but according to Presidency Spokesperson Spokes Mashabane, his absence has been a strategic decision.

"We must be pragmatic and concede that most of our citizens think that Mr Mbeki is a hybrid Shangaan-Belgian, dividing his time between the Rift Valley and The Hague.

"We are fully behind our president, but we also accept that if he shows his face in certain parts of the Republic he will have a can of whuppass opened on him."

He denied that Mbeki's television address to the nation on Sunday evening, in which the president called the violence a "disgrace", had been filmed four days ago on board the submarine SAS Sarafina 2.

"We categorically deny that the President is on a submarine in the South Atlantic.

"He is in fact on a corvette, the SAS Hansie Cronjé, off the coast of Monte Carlo, where he has been engaging world leaders on issues such as global warming, roulette, and fly-fishing."

Meanwhile, aide organisations and human rights lobbyists say they have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for dispossessed and homeless immigrants.

"We've given a fantastic amount of food, clothing and money to poor and hungry Zimbabweans and Mozambicans," said social worker Glenda Kemp.

"Maybe next year we might consider giving something to poor and hungry South Africans. Maybe even throw in an extra few blankets if they learn to speak French with those sexy Congolese accents."

She added that this was "just a thought, and nothing to lose sleep over".

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