South African looters take a vending machine from an alleged foreign-owned shops during a riot in the Johannesburg suburb of Turffontein on September 2, 2019 as angry protesters loot alleged foreign-owned shops in a new wave of violence targeting foreign nationals. (Photo by GUILLEM SARTORIO / AFP)
Gauteng premier David Makhura confirmed on Tuesday that two people have died in a looting incident in Slovo Park near Coronationville.
There have been five confirmed fatalities in Gauteng so far, according to Police Minister Bheki Cele. The other two deaths were in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, with the fifth in Pretoria.
The premier has been touring Johannesburg in the wake of further violence and looting linked to xenophobia, and said on Tuesday that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the Coronationville killings.
Police fired more rubber bullets and patrolled parts of Johannesburg on Tuesday after the financial capital was hit by a new wave of anti-foreigner violence.
More than 90 people were arrested on Monday in connection with the violence and looting of shops in Johannesburg and surrounding areas, the government said.
Such violence breaks out sporadically when locals blame immigrants for high unemployment, particularly in manual labour.
“They burnt everything,” Bangladeshi shopowner Kamrul Hasan, 27, told AFP in Alexandra, adding that his shop gets attacked every three to six months.
“All my money is gone. If the (South African) government pays for my plane ticket, I will go back to Bangladesh,” he said.
Truckers also started a nation-wide strike on Sunday to protest against the employment of foreign drivers.
They staged road blockades and torched foreign-driven vehicles in various parts of the country on Monday.
At least another 20 people were arrested in connection with the truck attacks in the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the total number up to more than 110, the government said in a statement.
South Africa is a major destination for economic migrants from the southern Africa region, with many moving from neighbouring Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in search for work.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday condemned the wave of xenophobic violence.
Attacks on businesses run by “foreign nationals is something totally unacceptable, something that we cannot allow to happen in South Africa,” Ramaphosa said in a video address diffused on Twitter.
“I want it to stop immediately,” said Ramaphosa, adding that there was “no justification” for the violence.
Deputy President David Mabuza on Tuesday condemned all acts of violence targeting foreign nationals.
“We are a nation founded on the values of Ubuntu (humanity) as espoused by our founding father, President Nelson Mandela,… we should always resist the temptation of being overwhelmed by hatred,” he said during a meeting with ministers in Cape Town.
The violence has erupted on the eve of the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, where hundreds of political and business leaders will gather for three days on Wednesday.
Makhura said that while irregular migrants could pose a challenge by pushing drugs and counterfeit goods, rioting was not a solution.
“This issue can be dealt with without resorting to xenophobia,” Makhura told reporters. “There is no country that does not have foreign nationals”.
Opposition parties condemned the violence, placing the blame on the ruling African National Congress.
“South Africans are scared and lack real hope for the future,” said Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s official opposition.
“We are seeing economic and social collapse in action, and the widespread violent protests, looting, destruction of property and general lawlessness”.
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