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JOHANNESBURG. — South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party said yesterday the High Commission of Australia in Pretoria need to clarify the remarks of Australian legislator Matthew Guy, who described Johannesburg as a crime-riddled city.Guy, the Australian opposition leader in Parliament, made the remarks when the police were hunting for escaped inmates in Australia. He said the terrifying car-jacking makes residents think they are living in Johannesburg and not Victoria.

Edna Molewa, who is a member of the ANC National Executive Committee Sub-Committee on International Relations, criticised the parliamentarian.

She said the “unfortunate comments” were made to portray the country in a negative way as a “crime-infested one.” Molewa said, “The ANC calls on the High Commission of Australia in Pretoria to clarify the comments made by Mr Matthew Guy (MP).

“These comments are regrettable, and feed into lazy stereotypes of African cities as crime havens.”

The Australian legislator said the remarks when he called for the prime minister for the area to be sacked for making “Melbourne to become the Johannesburg of the South Pacific.” Molewa, who is also the Minister of Environmental Affairs in South Africa, said Guy’s remarks are an insult to those working hard to sustain Johannesburg’s reputation.

She added: “They (comments) serve to tarnish the reputation of the City of Johannesburg — known widely as the gateway to Africa; and regularly cited amongst several indices as world-class city.

“Drawing South Africa with a well established reputation as a leading tourism destination, into the political frays of Victoria State, is unfortunate and unbecoming of a senior Australian politician.” — Xinhua.