Govt 'was warned' of xenophobia
2008-05-18 08:19
Marthinus Van Vuuren
Johannesburg - The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) warned the foreign and home affairs departments only a month ago that xenophobia in SA was getting out of control.
Kicking foreigners out of homes and chasing them out of townships, even cases of assault and murder, were common.
Hundreds of foreigners had been targeted in townships like Mamelodi, Soshanguve and Atteridgeville near Pretoria last month.
In the Western Cape, xenophobic attacks also made headlines last year. Scores of Somalis, Congolese and Zimbabweans felt the wrath of local residents.
"The pattern of incidents give the impression that these were not isolated events but systematic and co-ordinated," warned Gabriel Shumba, executive director of ZEF in April.
"The reaction of police is cause for growing concern, as they claim they are either too scared to respond or are even complicit".
Alexandra and Diepsloot north of Johannesburg were the latest areas to experience xenophobic violence. Some reports said the violence had spread to Boksburg, Tembisa and Thokoza.
ZEF programme director Ebbie Matsangaise said foreigners were given the blame for poverty and suffering found in SA's informal settlements and townships.
"Government has to start communicating better to make people aware of xenophobia and those council members who incite xenophobia have to be monitored".
She said the violence in Alexandra started at a community meeting attended by 200 people.
"These are unemployed people, they just lie about. The hate they carry in their hearts is like simmering pot - it can boil over at any moment and spread all over. That is what happened after that meeting".
- Rapport