Mob ransacks Somali-owned shop

A Somali-owned shop has been ransacked just metres away from where the National Police Commissioner was making an anti-xenophobia speech.

While Nathi Mthethwa told the Khayelitsha community that people who attacked foreigners risked the full might of the law, a crowd of about 200 people was looting a shop nearby.

When the Daily Voice arrived at the scene, shopkeeper Deego Mohamed was frantically packing what was left of his stock into a car.

Mohamed said the mob entered his shop shortly after 1pm on Friday and started helping themselves.

"One of them was armed with a gun and he told me to shut up while others were taking the groceries," he said.

Police spokeswoman Nosiphiwo Mtengwana said another shop in the area hurriedly packed up as well after the news of the first attack spread.

However, locals who attended Mthethwa's meeting vowed to protect foreigners living amongst them.

Community leader Michael Hamco told the Daily Voice that those who attack foreigners are nothing but thugs.

"These are just criminals who roam the street and have nothing to do," he said.

"We will protect the foreign nationals. We don't want anyone who has the intention of attacking the foreigners living here with us."

A fired-up Mthethwa told the crowd of about 500 people, which included Somalis, that criminals considering attacking foreigners would face the full might of the law.

"The police will take these things very seriously," he vowed.

"The people who are behind this are criminals."

- Daily Voice

Cops move to protect foreign nationals

Police have been deployed in several townships on the Western Cape province of South Africa to protect foreign nationals after escalating threats of violence against them, a police spokesperson said on Monday.

Signs of social instability could potentially harm South Africa's image and investor sentiment, undoing the gains of hosting a successful soccer World Cup tournament that ended on Sunday.

Police said the situation in the Western Cape province was tense but there have not been injuries so far.

"There were two shacks that were burned in separate areas and there's been sporadic incidents of looting and threats have been made on foreign nationals," said Western Cape police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk.

"Police have responded. At this moment there is a heavy police contingent (in several areas) which also includes Metro police and SANDF (South African National Defence Force)," he added.

The biggest economy in Africa has attracted millions of workers from across the continent and further afield, but their presence is not always welcomed by those locals who compete with them for scarce jobs and resources.

Two years ago more than 60 people were killed during anti-foreigner attacks.

Police in Gauteng said there had not been incidents against foreigners in the economic hub of South Africa. - Reuters

Foreigners continue to leave in fear of attacks

DESPITE assurances by government officials that everything was being done to avert tragic xenophobic attacks similar to those of two years ago, nervous foreigners continue to leave.

In Cape Town yesterday, hundreds of Zimbabweans made their way to the Paarl tunnel on the N1 highway, about 80km outside of Cape Town.

They have been leaving since Monday.

When Sowetan arrived about 40 Zimbabweans had managed to get a ride on an empty bus, which had just dropped off World Cup fans in Cape Town.

The driver of the bus, headed for Durban, said he would drop the Zimbabweans off in Bloemfontein, where they would look for transport to Johannesburg.

In Gugulethu more than 10 Somali shopkeepers have fled the area. Their shops have already been vandalised, Mncedisi Twalo of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign said.

“We are expecting the government to communicate with the community instead of using the rumours as a scapegoat. When elections come it is the only time we become important,” Twalo said.

In Alexandra, Johannesburg, a police source said they would begin intense round the clock patrols from next week.

“The problem seems to be at the RDP houses section, where locals are complaining that foreigners have houses, while they are on a long waiting list. We foresee problems there.

“We will be patrolling those areas and the rest of Alexandra to make sure that no xenophobic attacks erupt like they did in 2008,” the police official told Sowetan.

At a new RDP section people were seen moving into the new houses allocated to them.

Residents of the Ramaphosa informal settlement in Ekurhuleni confirmed that soldiers had patrolled the area on Wednesday.

Reiger Park police station communication officer Toni Perifort said the patrols by the soldiers were meant to send a message that law enforcement agencies were on high alert and to encourage residents to abide by he law.

- SOWETAN

Khayelitsha attacks 'not xenophobic'

A foreign national was shot dead and two others were wounded in a shooting incident on Saturday in Khayelitsha near Cape Town, Western Cape police said.

However, Captain Frederick van Wyk said the incident was not a xenophobic attack.

He said the three foreigners, who are all shop owners, were on their way from Khayelitsha to buy stock at Philippi Cash and Carry when they were hijacked at a traffic light.

The three suspects drove the bakkie to Sweethome Farms and robbed them of an undisclosed amount of money before shooting them.

One of them was killed instantly while the two others who were wounded were taken to hospital.

Van Wyk said police were investigating a case of murder, attempted murder and hijacking.

"This is regarded as a crime incident and cannot be attributed to violence at a certain foreign national," he said. - Sapa

'We are going to burn you with tyres'

A group of foreigners, mainly Zimbabweans, are camping outside a truck stop with their belongings on the N1 near Paarl in a desperate bid to catch the first ride out of the Western Cape.

They said they had been told by locals that they, long with their their homes, would be burned after the soccer finale.

Civic organisations and churches are among those who have warned of potential attacks on foreigners after the World Cup, but police have said they have no evidence to suggest that the wave of xenophobic attacks that took place in 2008 would be repeated after July 11.

Yesterday, the Cape Argus spoke to several Zimbabweans sitting at the exit area of the Winelands 1-Stop Engen garage on the N1, and others waiting near the tollgate at the Huguenot tunnel.

They have been attempting to get rides to Joburg from truck drivers at "cheaper" rates in a desperate bid to escape what they say are impending xenophobic attacks. From there, they said, it would be easier to catch a bus to Zimbabwe.

According to the Zimbabweans, getting a lift on a truck to Joburg can cost between R100 and R200 per person, without luggage, whereas a taxi can cost about R400 per person, excluding luggage.

Some said they had been waiting for five days, while others arrived three days ago.

People interviewed said they were fleeing Dunoon, Philippi, Philippi East, Crossroads, Malmesbury and Grabouw.

The Zimbabweans claimed they had been confronted by local residents who threatened to "burn them and their homes", after the World Cup.

Families gathered with as many of their belongings as they could transport, including fridges, microwaves, double beds and mattresses, couches, pots, buckets and bags of clothes.

Tamiviraishe Mazana, who had been working on a chicken farm in Site View in Grabouw, was among the group of more than 50 people waiting outside the Engen Garage before noon yesterday.

He and his family had spent the weekend camped outside the garage. They said they would be willing to return to South Africa if there were no attacks after the soccer tournament.

"We are scared for our lives. We never know what is going to happen," said Mazana.

Rachel Gatsi, who worked in the kitchen on a farm in Grabouw, said she was told "face to face" by her neighbours that she would have to leave. "Some of them tell us, 'We are going to burn you with tyres'... We are scared; we have to go."

Tendai Kadzviti, 34, fled his home in Strand's Zwelenthemba informal settlement.

He claimed locals were "holding meetings to plan attacks".

According to Kadzviti, landlords and homeowners from who they had been renting asked the Zimbabweans to vacate the premises and had refused to accept rent from July 1.

Others said their landlords had asked them to leave because they feared their homes could be damaged in xenophobic attacks.

Shepherd Matema was waiting with his wife and 10-month-old baby. He said he had been forced to leave by his landlord, who was afraid neighbours would damage his house.

Matema said he was worried about his money running out.

"Xenophobia is the push factor. We were not prepared. We don't have enough money," he said.

Foreigners who had decided not to flee their homes and businesses, said they were bracing themselves for the worst.

In Philippi, a Somali shop-keeper, who declined to be named, said he had heard the rumours but was staying put.

Another Somali, who has a spaza shop in Dunoon, said he had not bought any new stock.

"The people tell us that come July 12, we must all go back to where we come from.

"We have a few days. I don't know what I am going to do. Where must I go? There is too much fighting in my own country. I thought it was nice and peaceful in this country."

Locals in Philippi and Dunoon said they had heard that foreigners would be targeted but could not say what had prompted the threats.

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has written to President Jacob Zuma, asking for him to intervene.

On Monday, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa urged Zille to report concerns about possible xenophobic attacks to the cabinet-appointed inter-ministerial committee on xenophobia, which he heads.

Mthethwa, on a visit to ward 99 in Khayelitsha ahead of a by-election on July 21, said nobody would be allowed to take the law into their own hands and that locals and foreigners had to work together.

Zille did not indicate whether she had approached the committee.

"I was approached by the media regarding my views on the rumours of possible xenophobic violence and I responded to these queries," she said. - Cape Argus

Blow a vuvuzela against xenophobia

Several city organisations were set to meet on Monday to discuss a joint campaign aimed at preventing an outbreak of xenophobic violence after the World Cup, following their reports that foreigners in townships face very real threats as soon as the sporting event ends.

The meeting will lead up to the "Blow your vuvuzela against xenophobia" campaign, to be launched on Thursday.

Africa Unite, a city-based NGO, hosted a meeting in Philippi East on Monday, inviting other organisations to discuss plans to prevent xenophobia after the World Cup.

Community leaders at the meeting were keen to launch anti-xenophobia initiatives this week, explaining that they had heard of planned attacks on foreigners.

Africa Unite has held several workshops and community meetings about possible xenophobic attacks in the past few months.

The organisation's director, Zoe Nkongolo, said the reports at these meetings, from locals and foreigners, proved there was a definite possibility of violence after the soccer event.

Last week the province's MEC for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, met roleplayers to address fears of xenophobic attacks.

The department held meetings with both the UNHCR and civil society last week.

Nkongolo said that a meeting had been held last month at Beautiful Gate, a Phillipi East organisation, during which recommendations were made to prevent an outbreak of xenophobia.

During that meeting a committee comprising 15 local organisations was formed.

Their recommendations included the launch of the anti-xenophobia campaign, calling on support from local ward councillors and appealing for an increased police presence after the World Cup.

On Sunday, local ANC member Zola Nkomo said it was important to get to the bottom of the "rumours and reports", adding that at this stage there were no facts to support suggestions that violence would take place, nor were reasons for the possible attacks clear.

Nkongolo said that Africa Unite youth peer educators had warned that they had already had to intervene in xenophobia-related incidents in areas like Masiphumelele and Dunoon.

"This is a reality, foreign nationals have confirmed it."

At yesterday's meeting Mohamed Fatule, from the Somali Retailers Association, said: "If you don't take action, this will happen. When three customers come into your shop and tell you that after the World Cup is done, you must leave, then it's serious. Even in Enkanini (in Khayelitsha), they were trying to burn down Somali shops."

Xolile Ndzoyi, from Chuma, a Gugulethu-based organisation, said these kinds of initiatives would be the most effective, because they targeted youth, the reported perpetrators of the rumoured attacks.

"The young people are the ones doing these things. We need events that will attract them, like street football. But I'm worried, the World Cup is ending in one week. In South Africa, we always act after the problem."

Meeting chairman Bonisele Mngese, a community leader from Browns Farm, said that news of planned attacks was spreading fast in townships.

"There is the widespread rumour that after the World Cup our brothers and sisters will be chased away from South African soil.

"We have to stand up, we don't want to see what we saw the last time. Whoever is perpetrating this, we don't know, but let's prevent the coming anger," Mngese said.

Nkongolo said the office of the mayor Dan Plato and Western Cape premier Helen Zille would be approached about the campaign.

- Cape Argus