Dozens of foreigners killed on Sunday in SA xenophobia attacks




People armed with spears, batons and axes in Johannesburg’s Katlehong Township during a new wave of anti-foreigner violence. CreditCreditGuillem Sartorio/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
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Johannesburg – On Sunday South African police are cautioned church-goers, shoppers and commuters to stay away from certain area around in central Johannesburg following the latest incidents of attacks on foreigners amdf businesses.
Amid South African media and police bid to under-play the violence on Sunday; sources said dozens of foreigners were killed with savage knife stabbings and some burnt alive while many were injured and robbed of their possessions.
 
Ahead of the vioilelce, Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters had issued statement saying: “ A joint deployment made up of the SAPS and the JMPD had been closely monitoring Jeppestown and surrounding areas following notices of a gathering to be addressed by (former IFP leader) Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in Jeppestown. Bust eye witnesses said police were seen aiding and acommpanying mobs of thugs wielding machetes and knobkerries chanting war-cry songs.
Crowds walked out of speech as Buthelezi pleads for end to xenophobia.
“A crowd of about 1200 hostel residents gathered at Murray Park and, shortly into the address by Prince Buthelezi, a splinter group disrupted the address and left before proceedings were concluded.
“Incidents of attacks on businesses have since been reported in parts of the CBD where police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to restrain the growing crowd who attempted to move through the CBD via corner Bree and Twist Streets.”
 
Peters said that many shops were closed while police remained on high alert to ensure minimum damages and criminality.
 
In the meantime, police remain on the ground and on high alert to ensure the safety of church-goers, shoppers and commuters who were caught up in the mayhem. 
 
Police on Sunday cautioned citizens to stay away from the Jeppestown area, MTN taxi rank and shops in the CBD. 

Buthelezi told the crowd he was not addressing them as a political party member, but as an elder. As Buthelezi spoke on the need to live peacefully with fellow Africans and urged people not to take the law into their own hands, a large crowd brandishing knobkerries and sticks walked out of Jules Park, chanting and complaining that he wasn’t addressing problems on the ground.

They took to Jules Street, marching before returning back to the public address. A visibly irritated Buthelezi scolded them for their behaviour. The unsettled crowd shouted that no one wants to listen to what they have to say, adding that foreign nationals should leave South Africa.

“You are disrespecting an elder. What you are doing is wrong. Seems it’s better to speak when everyone has left… this is not right. These disrespectful people should just leave… just leave,” Buthelezi said, with the chanting crowd oblivious to his plea.

Meanwhile, former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki in a bizarre outburst in support of the attacks on foreigners last week said that the ongoing xenophobic attack against foreigners in the country was targeted at criminals and not Nigerians.

On Sunday, September 1, and Monday, September 2, 2019, South African mobs launched attacks on foreigners in their country, looted and burnt their places of business in suburbs of Johannesburg and surrounding areas.

Reacting to the incident, Mbeki said the recent violent demonstration in the former apartheid country was targeted at criminals.

In a two minute video Published on Twitter by Africa Facts Zone on Saturday, September 7, 2019, Mbeki said it is incorrect to read that South Africans launched attacks on Nigerians.

He said, “The truth of the matter is that there are Nigerian criminals, who are involved in drug dealing, and that’s true. There are Nigerian criminals who are involved in prostitution and that’s true. And you will find, like in this incident now in this area of Johannesburg, it was against criminals not Nigerians.

There is no South African that goes around chasing Nigerians because they are Nigerians….It is incorrect to read that there’s been an offensive against Nigerians in South Africa, that is not true. So, I am saying when you talk about xenophobia and afrophobia we need to be very careful about it.”

Earlier, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor said many Nigerians in the country are involved in drug and human trafficking.

In the heat of the unrest, Pandor while granting an interview to a South African news platform, eNCA, said South Africans believe that Nigerians are harming their youths.

Asked if the South African security agencies helped in protecting foreigners during the attack, Pandor said, “I would appreciate them in helping us as well to address the belief our people have and the reality that there are many persons from Nigeria dealing in drugs in our country.

“I believe that Nigerian nationals are involved in human trafficking and other abusive practices.

“These kinds of assistance of ensuring that such persons do not come to our country will be of great assistance to our nation.”

Meanwhile, more than 300 Nigerians have reportedly registered for evacuation from South Africa.

According to Punch, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, on Friday, September 6, 2019, disclosed that over 300 Nigerians had registered for the exercise, adding that the time and date of departure would be announced later.