Easter weekend shattered by xenophobic attacks
Dozens of foreign nationals are seeking refuge at the Greenwood Park police station following xenophobic attacks over the weekend.
APPROXIMATELY 21 foreign nationals have sought refuge at the Greenwood Park Police station after they were attacked by locals over the Easter weekend.
What should have been a festive celebration with family and friends turned into a weekend of fear and horror. The north Durban attacks follow similar conflict in Isipingo, where more than 120 refugees were pelted with stones and chased from their homes on Monday, 30 March.
Local ward councillor, Deochand Ganesh, confirmed that the foreigners from the Siyathuthuka Informal Settlement in Sea Cow Lake were attacked and have since found refuge at the station.
“Four shacks were targeted over the weekend by locals wearing balaclavas. Not only did they physically attack the foreign nationals, but they also demolished their shacks,” he said. Four of the individuals seeking refuge at the station were children, he added.
One of the victims sustained serious head injuries during the attack. Fear of further persecution has driven the individuals to the station, where they have been temporarily housed. “Police at the station have also contributed financially to assist the individuals,” he said.
According to Ganesh, the attacks were motivated by local’s fear of the foreigners exploiting jobs and housing within the area.
King Goodwill Zwelithini has received blame for the recent wave of xenophobic attacks after local media quoted him saying that foreigners should ‘pack their bags and leave’. He has since denied the reports.
Heinz de Boer, uMhlanga councillor, said he had heard rumors that foreign nationals in central Durban would also be subjected to attacks on Wednesday.
