‘Stop attacking foreigners’

Foreign-owned spaza shops in Alexandra were looted during xenophobic attacks. Photo: Shanti Aboobaker

Foreign-owned spaza shops in Alexandra were looted during xenophobic attacks. Photo: Shanti Aboobaker

Published Apr 23, 2015

Share

Rustenburg - People in the North West province must refrain from participating in incidents of xenophobic attacks, the ANC said on Thursday.

“Our people should also refrain from looting from the premises owned by the foreign nationals doing business in our localities. These attacks have led to a number of foreign nationals dying in the most brutal ways and others being misplaced and living in fear,” said the provincial secretary Dakota Legoete.

“These incidents take place in the same month when our country celebrate twenty-one years of freedom, and the irony of these targeted violence is that it is done on people who housed the ANC and other liberation movements in their countries during many years of our fight for the freedom we will be celebrating next week.”

Legoete applauded people of the province who remained peaceful during the past two weeks of xenophobic attacks, and asked them to continue accommodating and assisting those affected by these acts of violence.

“We trust and have confidence in the SAPS that they will be ready at all times to combat any incidents which dent the peaceful nature of our province. Our people should also report those who participate in the looting and killing of foreign nationals to the authorities.”

On Tuesday, ANC provincial chairman Supra Mahumapelo led a delegation to Klerksdorp after the party had received reports of xenophobic attacks that occurred on April 17, which resulted in the looting of shops owned by foreign nationals.

Residents there said there was no xenophobia in Klerksdorp and surrounding areas but, only gangsterism.

“All foreign nationals are not going anywhere, we will not allow ourselves to be driven by fear of ill-disciplined children who want to intimidate them as long as we are born in this land,” said Nkosinathi Makume from Khuma near Orkney. He was part of the community that took the initiative to protect and ensure the safety of foreigners whose shops were looted.

One of the shop owners, Suhel Patel from Bangladesh, said they were attacked by gang members. “There is no xenophobia here, but we are mainly terrorised by thugs involved in gansterism who want to loot our shops, we have a good relationship with our fellow Africans and help each other when the need arises, and are thankful for the protection we have from them,” said Patel.

ANA

Related Topics: