Zim killing disgusting - organisations
2011-06-14 21:38
Polokwane - Organisations on Tuesday expressed shock and disgust at the killing of a Zimbabwean national who was stoned to death by a mob in Seshego northwest of Polokwane in Limpopo.
They called for justice to be served.
The ANC in Limpopo said it learnt the news of the killing with "shock and utter disgust", and condemned the attack in the strongest terms.
"These violent acts are completely unacceptable because they are incompatible with a democratic South Africa," ANC Limpopo spokesperson David Masondo said.
"The allegation that the Zimbabwean killed two South Africans during robbery is not a justification for South Africans to take the law into their hands."
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said earlier that allegations were levelled against foreign nationals in the area, that they were involved in criminal activity, and a group of people went about intimidating them.
"Unfortunately, there was a Zimbabwean national who was cornered by this group and then they stoned him to death. Other victims had their houses vandalised and their belongings were thrown out of their houses," Mulaudzi said.
Accountable
The man was stoned at Section 75 in Seshego at about 20:00 on Monday. Mulaudzi said there were "groups" intimidating foreign nationals.
The police's public order unit from Polokwane managed to disperse most of these groups and were still deployed in the area on Tuesday to keep the peace.
"These irresponsible people wanted to cause mayhem but the situation has calmed down now [on Tuesday]," said Mulaudzi. Masondo said those involved in the attack must be held accountable for their actions.
He also called upon the ANC Limpopo government to "develop concrete economic programmes with the Zimbabwean government to improve the conditions of our respective citizens".
Meanwhile, the Young Communist League of South Africa found it "deplorable" that the community took the law into their own hands, "when they should be allowing police and the courts to do this".
YCLSA spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said police should protect "all our people", irrespective of what allegations were levelled against them.
"We further call on our people to realise that we are all human beings, we are all Africans and that irrespective of our nationality, no one's life is cheaper...
"Xenophobia must be fought just as apartheid [was, as] another form of hatred," Mndebele said.
- SAPA
