Earpiece 1

View the latest

Movie Trailers

here

FEEDS |

Thousands of foreigners forced from shacks

Nov 17, 2009 11:07 PM | By LAUREN COHEN

"Is there another country that can take us?" was the desperate plea of a Zimbabwean woman living in the farming town of De Doorns in the Western Cape after thousands of her countrymen fled xenophobic violence.

Current Font Size:
CHASED AWAY: A Zimbabwean mother and child at the community hall in De Doorns, to which they were moved after an outbreak of xenophobia in the Western Cape town Picture: SHELLEY CHRISTIANS
CHASED AWAY: A Zimbabwean mother and child at the community hall in De Doorns, to which they were moved after an outbreak of xenophobia in the Western Cape town Picture: SHELLEY CHRISTIANS

Related Multimedia

Pic title SLIDESHOW
Xenophobic attacks in Western Cape

The N1 was blocked off after conflict between South Africans and Zimbabweans, with locals claiming farmers hire Zimbabweans and not them.

South African and Lesotho citizens stopped Zimbabweans leaving the nearby informal settlements of Stofland, Maseru, Hasi Square and Ekuphumeleni to go to work.

"They started breaking down our shacks, which we rent from them at R50 a week, stealing our food and our phones," said Nuary Chaya from Harare. "Young men and girls were leading the mob."

By the afternoon, more than 1600 foreigners had been taken by police trucks to the De Doorns police station.

The station commissioner, Superintendent Desmond van der Westhuizen, said police were moving another 2000 displaced foreign nationals to a sports ground in town, where they would be accommodated in large tents.

He said the trouble began on Friday when locals chased foreigners from shacks and three people were arrested for public violence. A community meeting on Monday failed to ease tensions.

Other Articles in 'News'

 Loading...

Sign in
 or 
Sign up
 to comment

Comments

Nov 18 2009 01:40:19 AM
august rain
user name
Yes go home to Zim Your country needs you! go home NOW before its to late South Africans cannont suffer because of your usless dictator Robert. You are taking our jobs and stealing our houses and infrastructure depleting our medical supplies and causing misery to our poor.

While your war vets are destroying what little farms and food you have left.
Why must we waste our tax money on your thieving crackpot dictator president?
All foreigners must go back to the lands they have destroyed before they destroy ours.
Go home now or be prepared for a backlash that will make Rwanda look tlke Disneyland.
Nov 18 2009 02:04:52 AM
Matriarch
user name
At Christmas time can't we see that we are all one - and realise that as we sow so shall we reap. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction - Tolerance, if love is not possible?
Nov 18 2009 06:10:52 AM
Dukeboy
user name
Nov 18 2009 01:40:19 AM
august rain

Difficult to fault this argument, you know it's wrong somewhere but you just can't quite put your finger on it.

Ah, got it. The crux of the matter is jobs. The harder working, less trouble-making, non-unionised Zimbabweans are the preferred work-force.

I don't suppose it has occurred to the local idle k....r that all he has to do to place himself on a par in the jobstakes is to become productive.

Nah, course not.
Nov 18 2009 06:26:23 AM
enie
user name
matriarch..

are you an elephant.

theyre all into that lovey dovey stuff.

you should have been in that anc meeting in lusikiki (or wherever it was in transkei).... go spread the word son.
Nov 18 2009 06:28:56 AM
enie
user name
duke boy..

africa is overcome by dwindling productivity, higher costs of business etc.

and only idiots think that idleness and gravy train mentality without a proper work ethic is actually tolerated any wher else on our lonely planet.
Nov 18 2009 06:35:50 AM
dukie743
user name
This is a crime against humanity. These racist South African thugs must be brought to the world court.
Last year, 67 foreigners were cruelly murdered by grinning South African racist thugs in xenephobic violence. Some of the foreigners were even burnt alive. We, in the outside world observed the thugs on our television screens as they looted the property of the victims. Not one of the racist killers has been tried in court by the usless prosecuting authoities of South Africa. The ANC government is covering up the crimes because of the pending world cup. This is why the world court must move in to save the refugees from the racist mobs on the rampage in South Africa.
Nov 18 2009 06:45:26 AM
objective
user name
Strange how when someone makes a racist remark he/she/they are charged but when we attack people from Zim its called Zimphobia!!!!?????
Nov 18 2009 06:59:20 AM
Fullcream
user name

I wonder if South Africans have ever thought of improving their work ethic and competing fairly in the workplace...? Instead, they use violence...
Zimbabweans are hard workers and they appreciate when they get a job, whereas S.Africans expect AA to get them everything without actually doing any work....
It's a shame, really, that we cannot send S.Africans to Zimbabwe and keep the Zimbabweans here...
Nov 18 2009 06:59:48 AM
Sipho2
user name
Fellow Black South Africans, all 10% who are so Racist you try to hide it behind 'xenophobia' - you who shame the silent 90% majority, you are Racist. The British Colonials were right, you are such thieves that we sadly wish they were still here. How do we un brainwash my people that ANC is just ONE choice, not a RELIGION we have to vote for or be damned! STOP voting for people who do NOT represent you, make them work for you - you pay them every time you buy even bread because of VAT!
Nov 18 2009 07:09:00 AM
objective
user name
Fullcream I agree with you fully.


Read all 67 comments

Popular

Opinion

Pixie Lott- Gravity (official music video)

Today's Topics