Confirmed: Three South Africans Killed During Xenophobic Attacks
The spate of violence and looting in Gauteng this weekend has seen three South African citizens lose their lives to these mindless xenophobic attacks.
by Tom Head
The South African
2019-09-04 09:54i
Police Minister Bheki Cele – whose task to restore law and order in Mzansi growns more unenviable by the day – has revealed that three of the five people killed during the xenophobic attacks from this weekend were South African nationals.
Shops were looted and foreigners were attacked by hoardes of infuriated locals in Gauteng, who were systematically targeting non-native business owners and immigrants. Tensions regarding criminal activity from foreigners had reached boiling point, spilling over in heinous fashion on Sunday.
The protests turned violent and racked up a significant human cost. The visceral anger – directed at anyone who could be identified as an immigrant – even gripped the Johannesburg CBD. But due to the unmitigated outpouring of rage, “three of our own” have ultimately paid the price for rampant xenophobia.
Minister Cele confirmed that a majority of the deceased were from SA on Wednesday morning.
The devastating news now poses further challenges: In a week which has seen retribution swing between both parties, information regarding these deaths is sure to light an inferno underneath an already flammable situation. Some messages doing the rounds on WhatsApp have claimed that ‘more demonstrations’ will take place in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
This comes just hours after scores of Nigerian citizens trashed local Shoprite stores in Lagos State, in an act of revenge again the zenophobia on display in Gauteng over the past seven days. The violence has even spooked an international audience, with Zambia’s football team refusing to travel to South Africa and play Bafana Bafana in a friendly this weekend.
Bheki Cele reveals “hundreds” arrested for weekend violence
Cele did present a slight silver lining on the matter. Earlier on Wednesday, the top cop confirmed that “almost 300 arrests” had been made in Gauteng Province since the weekend’s bloodshed. However, he went on to rule out the possibility of deploying the army to Johannesburg’s crime hot-spots – a tactic we’ve seen used in the Cape Flats this year.
by Tom Head
The South African
2019-09-04 09:54i
Police Minister Bheki Cele – whose task to restore law and order in Mzansi growns more unenviable by the day – has revealed that three of the five people killed during the xenophobic attacks from this weekend were South African nationals.
Shops were looted and foreigners were attacked by hoardes of infuriated locals in Gauteng, who were systematically targeting non-native business owners and immigrants. Tensions regarding criminal activity from foreigners had reached boiling point, spilling over in heinous fashion on Sunday.
The protests turned violent and racked up a significant human cost. The visceral anger – directed at anyone who could be identified as an immigrant – even gripped the Johannesburg CBD. But due to the unmitigated outpouring of rage, “three of our own” have ultimately paid the price for rampant xenophobia.
Minister Cele confirmed that a majority of the deceased were from SA on Wednesday morning.
The devastating news now poses further challenges: In a week which has seen retribution swing between both parties, information regarding these deaths is sure to light an inferno underneath an already flammable situation. Some messages doing the rounds on WhatsApp have claimed that ‘more demonstrations’ will take place in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
This comes just hours after scores of Nigerian citizens trashed local Shoprite stores in Lagos State, in an act of revenge again the zenophobia on display in Gauteng over the past seven days. The violence has even spooked an international audience, with Zambia’s football team refusing to travel to South Africa and play Bafana Bafana in a friendly this weekend.
Bheki Cele reveals “hundreds” arrested for weekend violence
Cele did present a slight silver lining on the matter. Earlier on Wednesday, the top cop confirmed that “almost 300 arrests” had been made in Gauteng Province since the weekend’s bloodshed. However, he went on to rule out the possibility of deploying the army to Johannesburg’s crime hot-spots – a tactic we’ve seen used in the Cape Flats this year.
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