Looting: Thousands mob KwaMashu police

Foreign-owned shops in the township were looted and torched as locals attempted to drive out immigrants from other African states.

 

Inkatha Freedom Party spokesperson Mdu Nkosi said police officers were overwhelmed by the advancing mob on Sunday.

 

The councillor from A Section and the mens hostel informed me that last night [Sunday] he had done his best to try and appease the mob that had gathered but he was powerless. There were thousands of them and they even overran the police, he said.

 

I am told that the police failed to disperse this mob that went on to rampage on the streets and destroy shops.

 

Xenophobia spreading to all of Durban

 

Nkosi said that they had called for calm, and would continue to do everything necessary to settle the crowd.

 

This issue of xenophobia is not something that is limited to a specific ward and we see it now spreading to the whole of Durban.

 

These people [foreign nationals] did not just appear here and while the overwhelming narrative is that they are here illegally and contribute towards high rates of crime, the ones being targeted are honest business people who have every right to trade in South Africa.

 

"These people uplift the economy and now there is an effort to drive them out. The government needs to step in. They are our brothers and sisters and our councillors will continue to try and settle the situation, he said.

 

Temporary shelter set up

 

This came as the situation in Durbans townships remained tense with sporadic violence, usually perpetrated at night.

 

eThekwini Deputy Mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala visited residents at Bottlebrush informal settlement in Chatsworth where she urged locals to allow displaced foreign nationals to return to the community.

 

Currently temporary shelter has been set up in Isipingo, Chatsworth and Greenwood Park to accommodate the displaced foreign nationals and additional police have been deployed to beef up security in all affected areas.

 

The municipality has supplied tents, electricity, showers, ablution facilities and primary health care in the form of mobile clinics where the displaced foreign nationals have been accommodated, eThekwini spokesperson Tozi Mthethwa said.

 

Author : Jeff Wicks, News24

(File photo: Gallo Images)