Foreigners: We'll kill you
2008-07-17 23:19
André Damons
Johannesburg - "You South Africans will now know how it feels to be injured.
"We're going to kill you."
This is what a group of, presumably Congolese men, allegedly shouted at six security guards that were held hostage at the Glenanda camp for victims of xenophobia in Johannesburg.
Theuns de Lange, 38, of the Interactive Protection security company that was looking after all the safety camps in Johannesburg, on Thursday talked about how he and five other guards were held up and threatened with death.
"They meant what they said.
"They said they were going to kill us all if the police came.
"It wasn't nice because you didn't know what to expect," De Lange said.
Took four guards hostage
The gang apparently tried to take the pistol of one of his colleagues.
De Lange and this colleague were detained at about 06:10 on Thursday morning by seven Congolese men in the camps.
The men, who are apparently part of a gang, took four of De Lange's security guards hostage on Wednesday evening.
The men were armed with knives.
The police later released the hostages and no-one was injured.
There are still about 2 000 foreigners in the camp, most of whom are Congolese.
The managing director of Interactive Protection, Nantes Rykaart, said the Congolese gang was a big problem in the camp.
He described the Glenanda camp as the most problematic.
"The gang members prevent the elderly from queuing for food and want them to pay for food later on.
Fired rubber bullets
They don't want the security guards at the camp so that they can take over," Rykaart said.
Police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said ten people were arrested after they apparently threw rocks at police as they tried to free the security guards.
The police fired rubber bullets at the people.
Dlamini said the possibility that they would also be charged with kidnapping was still being investigated.
A Malawian, who was hit by rubber bullets three times, said the police opened fire on the people without reason.
"I went to help the guards when the police started shooting at us," the man said.
He was wounded in his right arm, left side and left buttock.
The police were still at the camp late on Thursday afternoon to make sure the situation remained under control.
- Beeld