KZN violence 'about politics'

2008-05-21 11:15

Durban - There is nothing xenophobic about the attacks in Umbilo, it is all political, KwaZulu-Natal's Safety and Security MEC Bheki Cele said on Wednesday.

He was responding to an attack on a Nigerian-owned tavern by a mob of at least 150 people on Tuesday night.

Speaking to Sapa, Cele accused the Inkatha Freedom Party of being behind the so-called xenophobic attacks involving residents from the Dalton Road men's hostel.

"There was a meeting of the IFP branch in Dalton yesterday (Tuesday) and ... I know it was them who went straight from there to the tavern and raided the place and smashed the cars," Cele said.

'We will not allow attacks'

The MEC said he had given a firm instruction to police officers on Tuesday to "be very harsh on those attacking foreigners".

"We will not allow these attacks to happen", he said.

Repeated attempts to contact Reverend Musa Zondi, the province's IFP secretary-general, were unsuccessful.

At least 100 hostel dwellers converged on Durban's Umbilo suburb on Wednesday, ordering foreigners to leave KwaZulu-Natal, police said.

Captain John Lazarus said many residents of the Dalton Road men's hostel were armed with stones and bottles.

Since 06:00 they had been intimidating foreigners. He said a mob had also struck at a Nigerian-owned tavern on Tuesday night.

Provincial police spokesperson Director Phindile Radebe said a mob had gathered on some streets of Umbilo on Tuesday night and began "attacking" one of the taverns.

"Police went out and calmed the situation down and a case of public violence was opened - but no arrests were made."

She said the people were sent back to the hostel.

"At this time we cannot confirm if this was related to the ongoing xenophobic attacks. As far as we are concerned, this was a criminal matter," said Radebe.

However, the Mercury newspaper reported that at least six foreigners had been wounded in the incident, one with an axe.

Lazarus said the mob had continued intimidating Nigerian foreigners on Wednesday morning.

Monitoring the situation

A large contingent of Metro police and officers from the SA Police Services were monitoring the situation.

A Sapa reporter at the scene said police had cordoned off a whole block between Durban's Gale Street and Sydney Road.

In Canada road, several people were seen standing on the roadside with their luggage, while broken glass was scattered along nearby Melbourne road.

Residents of the hostel were heard shouting profanities from their windows at passing foreigners carrying their possessions.

A staff member of the Khayelitsha hostel in Melbourne Road told Sapa on condition of anonymity that there had been no trouble on Tuesday - but that early on Wednesday, dwellers from the Dalton hostel had prevented foreigners from leaving.

She said 40% of the residents were foreigners.

"They are leaving because they have seen what is happening on television. Nothing happened here - they are just very afraid, " she said.

She said the hostel would be closed down until the xenophobic attacks stopped.

She added that the hostel would not be taking in any more foreigners, to avoid future problems.

- SAPA