1 000s flee xenophobic attacks
2008-05-22 21:05
Nelspruit - About 12 000 to 15 000 Mozambicans crossed the Lebombo border post to Mozambique on Thursday, said border gate co-ordinator Mbongiseni Msongweni.
He said about the same number crossed the border on Wednesday. "We weren't even this busy over the Christmas holidays.
"About 12 buses, 30 minibus taxes and 27 vehicles were in the queue by 06:00 on Thursday when the gate was opened. People had been queuing from as early as 02:00," says Msongweni.
Komatipoort police are patrolling the Hectorspruit and Komatipoort railway stations to ensure the safety of the Mozambicans before they take a taxi to the Lebombo border post.
Provincial police spokesperson Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi said police were on standby at all border gates in the province, which borders Mozambique and Swaziland, to ensure that foreigners who are fleeing the xenophobic violence do so safely.
Thirty-eight people were arrested in Mpumalanga on Wednesday and Thursday in connection with the burning of shops and cars belonging to foreigners. Two buses were also set alight.
Burning of shops and cars
Twenty-two people were arrested in the Lebogang extension in Leslie and 16 in Extension 16 of Embalenhle township outside Secunda.
"Since Wednesday morning, dozens of foreigners have sought refuge at the Evander and Leslie police stations and at the Embalenhle community hall," said Nkosi.
She said most of the suspects were clearly unemployed young criminals taking advantage of the xenophobia that has gripped Gauteng for the past two weeks.
"Almost all of them were found with property they stole from the foreigners," says Nkosi.
All the suspects were charged with arson, public violence and theft and will appear in the Leslie and Evander Magistrate's Court either on Friday or on Monday as police expect to make more arrests.
Passengers escaped unharmed
Nkosi said two shops, three tuck shops and two cars belonging to Somalian and Ethiopian nationals were looted and torched.
Two buses were also attacked in Leslie and Embalenhle on Wednesday night, but passengers escaped unharmed.
One of the buses was coming from Durban and was parked in a street in Leslie when a mob doused it in petrol and set it alight.
The other bus was burnt at a stop sign in Embalenhle. The passengers also escaped unharmed.