WATCH: Faith leaders attacked by refugees in Cape Town church

As police began removing the refugees from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Pretoria on Friday morning, faith leaders at the Greenmarket Square Methodist church in Cape Town have been assaulted.

The refugees were accommodated by the church following a court order eviction from the Waldorf Centre Building two weeks ago. The refugees, who have now been asked to vacate the church, are seen targeting someone believed to be a church leader.

The church’s Reverend Alan Storey and the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Bishop Thabo Makgoba were assaulted and injured.

Footage of the attack shows a pastor appealing for calm before the refugees lose their tempers at the sight of the man in a suit.

Meanwhile, the removal operation in Pretoria started shortly after 9am with some refugees hauled from the property and forced into police vans. A bus is reportedly taking some of the refugees away, although the destination remains unclear.

Tensions flared in Pretoria as police walked on to the premises, with refugees clearly refusing to be moved from the UNHCR premises. Some refugees could be seen in prayer, appealing for mercy. The refugees have demanded to be resettled in another country due to fear of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

On Thursday, the UNHCR engaged in talks with refugees who had forced their way into the Pretoria offices. The refugees have been staging a sit-in protest outside the UNHCR’s offices since October, seeking refuge.

The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ordered on Wednesday that they should disperse and vacate the area, giving them three days to disperse.

In a statement, the UNHCR called for a peaceful resolution of the protest in its Pretoria compound.

Spokesperson Helene Caux said: “The UNHCR is engaged in a dialogue with the protesters, urging them to avoid any act of violence, vacate the premises and contribute to finding viable solutions.”

(Compiled by Gopolang Moloko, additionally reported from News24 Wire)

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