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 Xenophobic attacks flare up in the Cape
    May 23 2008 at 02:27PM Get IOL on your
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By Lavern de Vries, Leila Samodien, Yunus Kemp and Candice Bailey

The xenophobic-linked violence that has raged in parts of the country flared up in Cape Town on Thursday night, leaving a Somali man dead, others injured, hundreds displaced and many shops looted.

The violence erupted in Du Noon near Milnerton when a mob went on the rampage, apparently after an anti-xenophobia meeting failed to get off the ground.

The 6pm meeting, at which ANC MP Lumka Yengeni was due to address foreigners and locals was called off after hundreds of people had gathered at a community hall, which was too small to accommodate them all.
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At least 35 suspected looters had been arrested
The meeting had been called in an attempt to avoid any possibility of attacks against foreigners, and to "promote peace and community cohesion".

On Friday morning violence erupted again in Du Noon as police fired rubber bullets at a crowd who were looting shops.

At least nine foreign-owned shops had been looted and torn down by a young criminal element.

Police said on Friday that at least 35 suspected looters had been arrested since Thursday night and a further five on Friday morning after shooting broke out. Firearms were also confiscated after shots were fired this morning.

Many foreigners were also seen leaving Du Noon with their belongings as locals cheered.

'My brother is locked up in the container, they won't let him out'
Heavily armed police, Metro Police and private security guards patrolled Du Noon, and a police Nyala and several Metro Police vans were stationed at the main entrance.

As terrified foreigners called on police to escort them back into the community to check on their homes, locals said "tsotsis" had warned that they will return and continue attacks on foreigners.

On Thursday night's flare-up follows deadly xenophobic attacks that first erupted in Gauteng almost two weeks ago, and this week spread to parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the North West.

Premier Ebrahim Rasool, speaking from Du Noon at around 2am on Friday, said word about the attack had "spread" to other areas, which apparently triggered copycat attacks around Cape Town.

There was also looting, stone-throwing and the burning of tyres in Masiphumelele as police worked into the early hours to bring the attacks under control.

"We sent transport to Masiphumelele to evacuate people. But we do not encourage self-evacuation," said Rasool.

A force of 200 police officers was sent to Du Noon, while about 180 police officers were deployed to the Knysna area. Police were also sent to other hotspot areas, said Rasool.

"But there is no reason to call the army out of the barracks. Residents in Du Noon told me that if police had not acted swiftly, there would have been murders," he said.

Stones were also thrown at the homes of foreigners in Nyanga, forcing women to flee to the police station, while people in Khayelitsha, Philippi and Kuils River sought refuge at local police stations.

One Du Noon resident said on Thursday night's meeting had been advertised by word of mouth on Saturday and was said to be open only to South African nationals.

A press alert, calling on Du Noon residents, including foreign nationals to attend the meeting, was sent out late Thursday afternoon.

Lumka was expected to address the crowd at Sophakama Primary School. When the Cape Argus arrived, a crowd of more than 1 000 people were irate as the meeting had been cancelled due to poor organisation - the school hall was too small and there were no microphones available.

A tense atmosphere reigned as Yengeni was escorted out of the informal settlement by heavy police guard.

Minutes later, a frantic Somali shopkeeper approached police to ask for assistance. "My brother is locked up in the container, they won't let him out," he screamed frantically.

Several police members, supported by Metro Police officers, were dispatched to the scene where a large crowd had gathered. "The Somalis have it coming," was one of the many threats verbalised by the crowd.

After releasing the spaza shop owner's brother, police escorted the Somali group out of the area but, by this time, similar incidents of violence and looting had erupted in various other pockets of the informal settlement.

"Where should I go from here? My house is here and I am afraid to go home," one Congolese woman said.

By 8pm, several law enforcement agencies had arrived to help evacuate the foreign nationals. Police also barricaded the second entrance of the settlement, which served as a drop-off point for the ones they had rescued.

Terrified, many said they did not have anywhere to go.

"What about my sister, she is still inside with all those people. What will happen to her?" was one man's desperate plea.

His fear for a relative trapped in the chaotic informal settlement was echoed by many others who sat staring in disbelief as plumes of smoke hung over Du Noon while a helicopter circled overhead.

Heavily armed police had also tried to disperse the violent crowd by shooting rubber bullets at them. Many residents had run screaming from the area while others stood their ground and dismantled shops as the pungent smell of burning tyres filled the air.

"I don't understand why they are doing this. I am ashamed as a Du Noon resident because the Somalis work here and when we don't have money, they help us.

"We were a community," one local resident, who declined to be named, said.

The police on Friday confirmed that a Somalian had been killed.

Rasool said last night that the man had apparently tried to escape the violence and had crashed his car.

Rasool also said that a South African shopkeeper was shot and wounded by another shopkeeper in Du Noon.



    • This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Argus on May 23, 2008
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