“THIS is criminal and perpetrators should be brought to book,” said South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) co-ordinator, Desmond D’Sa of the xenophobic attacks that swept the nation in recent weeks and has caused innocent South Africans abroad to bear the brunt of retaliation.
Following the xenophic attacks, which originated in Isipingo at the end of March and swept through the province and into other parts of the country, South Africans in Mozambique faced backlash on Thursday, 16 April as they arrived for work at a refinery.
The workers, many of whom are from Wentworth, were faced with demonstrators as they arrived at work and had to be taken to places of safety to await flights home.
“A clear message has been sent to Mozambique and other African nations that South Africans are intolerant and that we despise people from other countries,” said D’Sa.
“I empathise with these Mozambicans and understand why they have retaliated this way. But it is the South Africans who are innocent, who have had to face the repercussions.
This violence in our country was uncalled for and the perpetrators should be held accountable. I place the blame squarely at the feet of our president, his son and the Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini for comments made that added fuel to the fire and for inaction, that let it spread,” he added.
Hundreds of foreigners have fled their homes and taken refuge at camps in Isipingo, Chatsworth and Phoenix, awaiting repatriation, or for the situation to calm down sufficiently for them to return to their homes.
By Wednesday, 15 April some 74 arrests had been made for murder, public violence, business robbery, theft and possession of firearms and ammunition.
The Prospecton Business Forum (PBF), which has members from the port of Durban to the Umkomaas River, expressed its disappointment at the attacks and said local business owners are concerned for the safety of their staff as well as the impact on the local economy.
“The PBF calls on government and the eThekwini municipality in particular to exercise everything within its power to seek concrete ways of addressing the root causes of the problem. We do not have the privilege of time when lives are being lost and our local economy is being destroyed.
The brand ‘Durban’ is being eroded with every attack and the economic impact on our tourism and events sectors will be immense, notwithstanding local business doing business in Africa that will be negatively affected, as well as many jobs lost as a result of these irrational acts,” said PBF chairman, Mark van Wyk.
Following the anti-xenophobia march on Thursday, 16 April, the situation in Durban appeared to calm down. MEC Willies Mchunu said no incidents of violence directed at foreign nationals were reported over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Wentworth and Newlands Angels, Red Cross and Meals on Wheels showed their support for the thousands of foreign nationals displaced by these attacks by providing food and support.
“We helped them charge phones in our vehicles to call their families and spent time cooking. I am proud to be acquainted with so many angels,” said Wentworth Angels director, Tracey Leigh Williams.
