SA on alert for Xenophobic violence

The ANC is desperate to avoid the kind of violence that hit last year, when images broadcast around the world -- including some from Jeffsville of residents burning shacks where Zimbabweans, Malawians, Somalis and other foreigners had lived and worked -- exposed deep anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa. (from the M&G)

Zuma's party released a statement on Thursday promising "to listen and find solutions to people's concerns" and condemning looting and attacks on foreigners "under the guise of `service delivery protests"' against the government.

The reason that the people are picking on jonny foreigner is because the police didn't do shit when the problem came round the first time. The stock the people stole from the Somalian shopkeepers has finally run out. It should come as no surprise that Mr Foreign Shop Owner is a target again.... only this time the people are shouting "service delivery now!" rather than "kwerekwere out!"

Xenophobia - a view

THOUGH I condemn xenophobic violence, one must remember that most of our struggle for freedom was “with our necklaces and matches”. — Agi Orfanos, Cape Town - The Times

Thousands died in the struggle for freedom.

Most of Africa has had freedom for close to half a century, a period surpassing that of apartheid. But Africa has self-destructed through corruption, genocide and expropriation of productive farms and businesses.

There are more than 15million illegal immigrants in South Africa. They are the majority of the workforce in working-class positions in every aspect of the economy.

Almost every job in a Cape Town restaurant is taken by a Zimbabwean. Every parking attendant is Congolese. Every cook or baker is Angolan.

South African blacks have little chance of finding employment outside the municipality.

Refugees are entrenching themselves in South Africa, the Disney World of Africa.

They are benefitting from schooling, healthcare and even housing, while our own people struggle to survive.

One does not need to question the violence when even the jobs as domestic workers and gardeners are taken by foreigners, while the beggars are South Africans.

Break the law and pay the price, vows Zuma

"There can be no justification for violence, looting and destruction of property or attacks on foreign nationals residing in our country.

"The law enforcement agencies will continue to act swiftly and to take action against all who break the law. They have our full support as they carry out their mandate to maintain law and order in our communities."

This was the message from President Jacob Zuma, who on Thursday addressed a meeting of black business people in Sandton.

This was echoed by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka, who on Thursday said the attacks on foreigners during Mpumalanga service delivery protests were unacceptable and criminal.

'The law enforcement agencies will continue to act swiftly'

"The attacks on foreign nationals in these protests is a further act of criminality which will not be tolerated," he said. This was especially so for a country preparing to host "the entire world" during the 2010 World Cup, he said.

"Such acts further take away from any genuine grievances that anyone may be presenting to government," Shiceka said.

On Thursday, a preliminary report into the cause of recent service delivery protests in Mpumalanga was released.

"The findings - include a lack of responsiveness to issues raised by communities," the ministry said.

The report uncovered tensions between the political and administrative sections of some municipalities, as well as the existence of financial mismanagement and allegations of fraud and corruption.

Some ward committees were not fully functional and therefore not communicating properly with communities.

Poor service delivery was identified as the result of poor planning, maintenance and management of infrastructure.

There were also problems with the integrated development plans and budgeting processes of some municipalities.

The report was compiled by a task team dispatched to the province by Shiceka a week ago.

Municipalities assessed include Thaba Chweu, Albert Luthuli, Emalahleni, Emkhondo, Pixley ka Seme, Govan Mbeki, Steve Tshwete and Msukaligwa.

These are some of the areas which have experienced the most violent protests in the past few weeks.

- Sapa

Charges against jailed Jo'burg homeless people dropped

All charges against the more than 350 homeless people jailed over the weekend have been dropped in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court today. Those arrested, mostly Zimbabweans, were freed following the court decision. Earlier on state lawyers refused to prosecute the jailed homeless who were arrested and charged with loitering.

Those freed were nabbed during a police round-up in a midnight raid on Friday. They were crammed into a police cell for the weekend, and now they have expressed their relief at being released but many of them have complained, calling on the police not to treat them like animals.

Police insist those arrested broke the law by sleeping outside a church in the Central Business District. But state prosecutors weren't convinced, and it took them less than an hour to withdraw the case. Now it's the action of the police officers that hangs in balance amid accusations of heavy-handed tactics.

Jacob Van Garderen from the Lawyers for Human Rights says they are disappointed at the way authorities cleared the police operation in question. Garderen says they have received number of complaints over the conduct of the police during the operation.

Meanwhile the South African Police Service says any complaints against its members must be made at the nearest police station. Over the weekend they claimed the arrests were part of a drive to clean up the streets, and insisted that the crackdown will continue. An estimated 60 000 people will sleep on the streets of Johannesburg tonight and non-government organisations say even if some are taken off the streets, others will just replace them.

- SABC

SA slams arrest of homeless Zim

South African human rights organisations on Saturday condemned the arrest of about 300 destitute Zimbabwean nationals.

"We have been informed by the SAPS (South African Police Service) that the purpose of the raid was to clear the streets and enforce municipal bylaws," the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Resources Centre said in a joint statement.

"Large numbers of SAPS and metro police swooped on 344 people seeking shelter from cold, shortly after midnight," the statement added.

Bishop Paul Verryn of the Central Methodist Church said among those arrested were women and children.

The church is situated in central Johannesburg and provides shelter to several hundred refugees, who sleep in the building, most of whom had fled the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe.

"This is definitely a political decision, we've had people living on the street all over the country for many years and they are not arrested. They are targeting specifically this area, they are trying to intimidate these people whose only crime is being poor," he said.

Verryn said there were more than 2,500 Zimbabweans inside the church.

"They (police) want to get rid of these people without offering any alternative, where are they suppose go?"

Police spokesman Wayne Minnaar said more than 300 people were arrested between Friday night and early hours of Saturday.

He said the people were arrested for loitering and sleeping on the pavements, following numerous complaints from the high court and business owners in the city.

"They have been arrested for loitering, they will have to pay a R300 fine or appear in court Monday."

However Lawyers for Human Rights spokesman Jacob Van Garderen said "the only crime they committed is to be destitute without shelter"...

- AFP

SABC News reports that the charges were dropped against all loiterers on Monday.