Violence Spreads across S.Africa
Pastor Dale Morgan
Violence Spreads across S.Africa *
18 May 2008 18:54:31 GMT
Source: Reuters
JOHANNESBURG, May 18 (Reuters) - Hundreds of foreigners living in South
Africa took refuge in police stations and churches as week-old violence
against them spread further across poor townships, local media reported
on Sunday.
Numbers of casualties since the attacks against Zimbabweans and other
immigrants began a week ago varied, with some reports on Sunday putting
the death toll at around 10.
Some South Africans, especially those living in poor areas of high
unemployment, accuse Zimbabweans and other newcomers of fuelling the
high crime rate and taking scarce jobs.
The attacks have renewed the authorities' fears that xenophobia is on
the rise in a country which was once known as one of the most welcoming
to immigrants and asylum seekers, especially from Africa.
Local radio said angry mobs had at first attacked houses owned by
immigrants from neighbouring Zimbabwe, Mozambique and other countries in
Alexandra township.
But now these attacks had spread to other settlements and Johannesburg's
city centre. Properties had been looted and destroyed.
"There have been some incidents in the Alexandra area where police
opened fire using rubber bullets to disperse crowds," police spokesman
Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said on local radio.
"There've been problems also in the East Rand. In the Boksburg area some
shacks have been set alight," he added.
Mariemuthoo was not reachable for further comment.
The anti-foreigner violence has rattled authorities and the business
community, and President Thabo Mbeki urged police to move quickly to
find the instigators.
"It's necessary to move as quickly as possible to establish all the
causes and the players in all of this, so that we can then deal with the
matter more effectively," he said on national broadcaster SABC radio.
"The communities ... should act together with the police and together we
should say this is very, very wrong. It is unacceptable that there
should be this kind of violence."
Medical rights group Medecins Sans Frontieres said the situation now
amounted to a humanitarian crisis.
"I have been to many refugee camps and situations and this definitely is
along those lines," spokesman Eric Goemaere told SAPA news agency. "This
reminds me of a refugee situation. I have treated bullet wounds, beaten
people, rape victims and the people are terrified."
The violence has also affected businesses owned by immigrants from Asian
countries like Pakistan.
An estimated 3 million Zimbabweans have fled to South Africa as a result
of the political and economic crisis at home. (Reporting by Stella
Mapenzauswa; Editing by Richard Balmforth)