CAPE TOWN, April 24 -- South Africans "are also in pain because of the tragic and senseless killings of all seven persons" in the latest round of xenophobic violence, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.

"This is a difficult period for our country and its people. Millions of peace loving South Africans are in pain because they are being accused of being xenophobic which is not true," Zuma said in an open letter to Mozambican writer and poet Mia Couto.

In an open letter to Zuma earlier, Couto accused South Africa of turning against its African brothers and sisters who had supported the anti-apartheid struggle.

The current xenophobic attacks mainly targeted immigrants from other African countries.

"South Africans are definitely not xenophobic. The actions of a small minority should not be used to wrongfully label and stereotype more than 50 million people," Zuma noted.

Since 1994, South Africans have worked tirelessly to rebuild their country and to reverse the legacy of apartheid colonialism, Zuma said.

Progress has been made in building a society that is based on the respect for the right to life, human rights, equality and human dignity, said Zuma.

"We continue to build a society free of any form of discrimination. We are doing so because we know the pain of being discriminated because of your skin color, language or nationality. "

In the letter, Zuma mentioned the hospitality and generosity that was accorded to him by Mozambicans during his exile in Mozambique.

"We agree that we benefited immensely from international solidarity and friendship during our struggle against apartheid. Our brothers and sisters in the African continent in particular shared their meager resources with us," Zuma said.

He said South Africa has not changed and has not forgotten such comradeship and solidarity.

"But like most countries that have emerged from conflict, we have deep-seated challenges," Zuma said.

He said South Africans appreciate the contribution of foreign nationals in the country, who contribute to the economic development by investing in the economy, bringing critical skills and through adding to the diversity that "we pride ourselves in."

But there are also some complaints or problems that citizens have raised which need to be addressed, Zuma added.

These include the increasing number of illegal and undocumented immigrants in the country, the displacement of many local small traders by foreign nationals and that some of the migrant traders operate illegally. There are also accusations that foreign nationals commit crimes such as drug peddling and human trafficking, that they take the jobs of locals as employers prefer them as they are prepared to take lower wages and also complaints about free government housing that is secured by foreign nationals.

"We have emphasized that none of these grievances justify any form of violence against foreign nationals and that it will never be tolerated by government," Zuma said.

"We are also pointing out that not all migrants are in the country illegally and not all are involved in criminal activities. "

The grievances of the South African population have to be balanced with the plight of many refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants from the continent and beyond, Zuma highlighted.

In the short-term, South Africa will also improve the implementation of the existing migration policy including tightening controls at the ports of entry and borders and also ensuring adherence to the laws of the country, while protecting migrants and the local population from criminal elements who are taking advantage of the tensions caused by socioeconomic challenges, according to Zuma.

Work has also begun to review the country's migration policy based on the current and recent experiences, he said.

"Our government will rely on the cooperation of sister countries in the continent from where most of the migrants come, as we search for solutions," Zuma concluded.

Also on Friday, Zuma met with a group of foreign nationals representing different African countries in Pretoria to listen to their grievances.