Xenophobic clashes rock Durban

Police hand their hands full as foreigners and locals clashed in various incidents around Durban.

Police hand their hands full as foreigners and locals clashed in various incidents around Durban.

Published Apr 14, 2015

Share

Durban - Areas of Durban resembled a war zone late on Tuesday afternoon as violence between locals and foreign nationals boiled over.

Shops in central Durban were closed as a knobkierrie-wielding mob assaulted foreign nationals and looted their shops in Durban.

Metro police rushed around to make sure shops were properly closed as some foreigners fled without closing them properly.

Taxis had their windows smashed as foreign nationals threw rocks and stones from a block of flats on West Street, in central Durban.

Police had their hands full trying to calm down an angry mob of locals who had stones and rocks thrown at them.

There was glass all over the street and police resorted to using teargas in a bid to separate the warring groups.

“We are under attack, people are coming from everywhere. Police are not helping us, maybe they are tired of us,” said foreign shop owner, Richard Condonso.

He said the locals had pushed them into a corner.

“We will retaliate, in full force just to defend ourselves,” said Condonso.

A local, who refused to be named, said the foreign nationals deserved what was happening to them.

“We are tired of them. They are criminals. They do house break-ins. Ever since they came into the country, the crime rate has escalated”.

Police spokesperson, Jay Naicker could not be reached for comment.

ANA

Related Topics: