After at least a week of sporadic destruction, violence and widespread of nasty rumours about planned xenophobic attacks in different parts of Boksburg, the area is now calm again.
“The streets of Boksburg remain calm and things have been back to normal in the past couple of days. Most of the businesses in the Boksburg North area have reopened. Our members, however, continue to frequently patrol the hot spots,” said Boksburg North SAPS spokesperson Const Justice Ramaube.
The Advertiser visited some of the most hit areas in the city, including Cason Road in Boksburg North, Main Road in Witfield and Angelo informal settlement, where it was discovered that people resumed their normal activities and there were no signs of violence or intimidation.
Boksburg and other areas in the province were hit by a new wave of violence, vandalism and looting of businesses attackers believed were owned by foreign nationals. Locals complained that the country’s growing population of foreign nationals poses a threat to South Africans’ main source of livelihood.
Locals decided to take matters into their own hands, following claims that foreign nationals are stealing their jobs and business opportunities and are behind the scourge of drug trade, human trafficking, prostitution and mugging in the country.
The situation in Jerusalem informal settlement is also calm.
The Advertiser spoke to one of the local shop owners in the area who has returned, Aene Ali, who was cleaning his shop and fixing the doors after residents looted and vandalised his shop.
“We ran away but we are back now. We feel a bit safe now because the community are no longer fighting us. Residents took all my stock, so I am trying to clean so I can buy new stock and open the shop,” Ali said.
Leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, Police Minister Bheki Cele, Premier David Makhura and Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina, and politicians widely condemned the attacks on foreign nationals. While others blame the situation on Home Affairs and government’s alleged failure to tighten the borders to control the number of immigrants entering the country.
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