A fresh wave of xenophobic attacks has been reported in parts of Durban in South Africa.
Reports indicate that locals went on a rampage, broke into their homes and looted their businesses. Since Monday, some natives have been targeting foreigners who they are accusing of taking their jobs and being behind the country’s high rate of unemployment and poverty.
Twaibu, who is from Malawi reported to have been attacked and displaced from their homes in Burntwood in Sydenham, Durban, on Tuesday. Loveness James, 22, who is nine months’ pregnant and due to give birth on Friday, said all she was left with were the clothes on her back and she and her husband were chased from their home in the early hours of Monday morning.
“It was a normal day. I went to work at the salon, came home, cooked for my husband and went to bed,” she said. At 2 am they were interrupted by loud bangs on the door, which was eventually forced open.
“They started shouting, and telling us to leave, they kept chanting that we must leave their country, they hit and kicked my husband. All I could think of was my unborn baby, my water breaking and me giving birth in front of people who wanted us dead,” she said.
This development has however attracted the anger of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who has termed the attacks as ‘unacceptable’.
President Ramaphosa said the attacks were a sign of intolerance and partly ingratitude for the role that other African countries played directly and indirectly in the long struggle against the apartheid regime.
“I condemn them in the strongest terms because this is not us,” Ramaphosa said to applause while speaking at a presidential fundraising event on Friday.
Killings
This is the first time this year that such attacks are being reported in one of Africa’s most developed nations. In the past during such incidents, foreigners have been killed with their business and properties looted and burnt down.
In May 2008, a series of xenophobic attacks left 62 people dead, although 21 of those killed were South African citizens.
In 2015, another nationwide spike in xenophobic attacks against immigrants, in general, prompted a number of foreign governments to begin repatriating their citizens.
The foreigners have however blamed the government officials for the ongoing attacks. They said that politicians on the campaign trail had used a fear of immigrants to drum up support by, for example, promising to tighten borders after the coming election to control the number of immigrants entering the country.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said three people had died and several had been injured.