Carlo Petersen and African News Agency
THE xenophobia that started in KwaZulu-Natal, then spread to Gauteng, has now reached the Western Cape.
An incident of xenophobia has rocked the quiet farmland of Groot Drakenstein near Paarl, where nine men were arrested for allegedly attacking a Somalian shopkeeper last week. Following the attack in the Mbekweni informal settlement on Wednesday, the area’s mayor, Gesie van Deventer, and her deputy, Conrad Poole, took to the streets at the weekend and handed out pamphlets denouncing xenophobia.
The nine accused, all South African men from Mbekweni, appeared in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Charges against them include assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, damage to property and theft after they allegedly attacked the shopkeeper, ransacked the shop and ran off with stolen goods.
Over the past month South Africa has been on a knife-edge as mobs in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have been violently targeting immigrant workers and foreigners from other African countries, leaving at least seven people dead.
Poole
said yesterday: “We are totally against xenophobia. These are unnecessary acts of violence and we condemn it, both within the Drakenstein area and the rest of the country.”
He said he had joined the mayor at the weekend in handing out pamphlets denouncing xenophobic acts.
“We encouraged residents to live together peacefully. These kinds of things must not happen in our communities,” Poole said.
“As much as we as South Africans want to live freely and within the law, the foreigners want to too.”
It was the first time they had experienced a xenophobic attack in the Paarl area and the municipality was working closely with the police to curb xenophobia.
Paarl police confirmed the incident yesterday, but could not give details as the communication office was closed.
Eden Davids, 35, who lives near Mbekweni, said there had been an influx of foreigners into the area over the past five years.
“There are lots of them coming into the communities. Some to work on the farms, others set up shops. The tensions are growing because the locals blame the foreigners for the lack of work. The real problem behind this tension is poverty and poor service delivery.”
A well-placed source in Paarl said an argument had ensued between the Somali shopkeeper and an Mbekweni resident on Wednesday.
“The customer left the shop and then returned with a group of his friends. They attacked the shopkeeper and then ransacked the shop. There was damage inside the shop and lots of items were stolen,” the source said.
Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has been accused of triggering the violence after allegedly saying that foreigners needed to leave the country.
The SANDF was later called into KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to help quell the violence.
Last week more than 500 people were arrested in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, while
on Thursday 198 illegal immigrants were arrested in Johannesburg.
Last week thousands of foreigners were seen boarding buses to leave the country, while neighbouring countries called on the government to act. During a Freedom Day address at the Union Buildings on Friday, Gauteng Premier David Makhura announced that “xenophobic violence had ceased”.
At the weekend a major security operation in KwaZulu-Natal saw more than 100 suspects arrested for a range of offences, including drug dealing, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, and for being in South Africa illegally.
KZN police spokesman Jay Naicker said “Operation Fiyela” had started in the province.
“These multi-disciplinary operations – which include various SAPS disciplines, the SANDF, Department of Home Affairs and metro police – aim to rid our streets of criminal elements.”
During the first two days security forces were deployed in large numbers.
“Security forces arrested 68 people who were in the country illegally,” Naicker said.