100 South Africans raid foreigners’ shops in latest attacks
The police on Monday said at least 100 people ransacked shops in Johannesburg overnight, in the latest wave of looting incidents in South African cities.
“We are following up on leads and we are expecting to make more arrests,” Mathapelo Peters, police spokesperson, said.
She said she did not know the nationalities of the shopkeepers and police were waiting for owners to come forward, so that they could open cases of violence and damage to property.
Similar incidents have taken place in Pretoria this month, but police have been reluctant to characterised the attacks as being directed against foreigners.
Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of near-record unemployment, with foreigners being accused of criminal activity and taking jobs from locals.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba on Friday acknowledged violence had flared up against foreigners this year, saying that “unfortunately, xenophobic violence is not new in South Africa.”
On Friday, police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse marches by hundreds of anti-immigrant protesters in Pretoria, after mobs looted stores believed to belong to immigrants. More than 150 people were arrested.
Also, a Reuters witness said doors and windows were smashed in, and food and other items were strewn on the floor in stores believed to belong to immigrants in Jeppestown, an area in the central business district.
“We’ve been stuck inside here until the police came,” Abdul Ebrahim, a Somali shop owner, said after emerging from his store, where a number of his colleagues had barricaded themselves.
“No one told us what they were looking for,” he added when asked why the mob had attacked his shop.
At least one person was arrested.
On Thursday, the federal government urged its South African government to put in place measures to end the incessant xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in that country.
Khadija Abba-Ibrahim, minister of state foreign affairs, said this to Lulu Aaron-Mnguni, high commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, in Abuja.
There should be a strong word for the south African government and her citizens by the Nigerian government. The national Assembly has not come out strong on this matter.This shows how the leaders in Nigeria sees her people as no body.Nigerians in south Africa should be watchful and careful. We are watching every issue in south Africa.