After two terror attacks in London on Saturday night in which seven people died, Londoners may be shaken and helpless but the overriding message is “London United”.
This was the sense of South Africans who now lived in the UK, got in the days following the brutal incidents on London Bridge and at Borough Market.
Ten days earlier, another attack in Manchester claimed 22 lives.
British media reported that the current threat level for international terrorism in the UK was “severe”, meaning “highly likely”.
Ayanda Dlamini, formerly of Durban and who lives in London, said the attacks “hit people pretty badly”.
“Londoners are pretty resilient. This affected people more because it came so quickly after Manchester,” she said.
Dlamini said in post-attack London, people were more guarded and the city was on high alert.
“They usually tell you to mind the gap between the train and the platform, but this morning they added that we needed to be extra careful in light of what happened and report any suspicious behaviour,” Dlamini added.
Another South African, Jessica Wolhuter, said the frequent attacks made the situation “a little more serious”.
“(On Monday), I was at Liverpool Street station and I was looking at everyone who was there and I just thought if anyone did anything now, so many people would die. People are a bit more wary. It doesn’t feel like London. London always felt safe to me, especially being from South Africa. There are a lot of sirens in London and military helicopters flying,” she said.
She added that the attacks had made people feel helpless.
“The fact that they’re able to do this; in the space of 10 minutes, they killed seven people and injured 50,” Wolhuter said.
Luvo Sishuba, a South African currently studying at City, University of London, said despite the attacks, Londoners remained resilient and united.
“The people of London remain strong and mainly carrying on with life as usual. They say this will not break them,” he said.
Sishuba said the atmosphere felt really emotional. “It makes you appreciate what you have in life. I am deeply sad for those who have been affected,” he added.
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesperson, Nelson Kgwete, said no South Africans had been victims in the attacks.