Xenophobia rages on in SA
Photo from 2008
South Africa is still not a safe place for foreigners, says the African Diaspora Forum, an activist organisation that has been working with police against xenophobic attacks. Some viewers may find the following visuals disturbing. eNCA
JOHANNESBURG - The African Diaspora Forum, who have been working with police against xenophobic attacks, said that South Africa is still not a safe place for foreigners.
They said that government’s efforts to address the problem have failed.
May 2008 would be remembered for the xenophobic violence which left 62 people dead and thousands displaced.
Police, however, said that they had the situation under control.
Five years on the situation hasn't improved much.
Aline Mugisho, from the African Diaspora Forum said: “It’s not the violence that we saw that attracted everybody’s attention but the truth is [that at the moment] we are having more incidences, more deaths, the numbers have grown higher and higher and they grow every year of people that are being killed.”
The forum’s research showed xenophobic attacks were currently happening in nearly 90% of the country.
It said that in the past nine months, there have been 80 acts of violence against foreigners.
Ironically, police disagree with the forum even though they work together.
“There is a decline because you remember in 2008 it was a countrywide problem that happened simultaneously, but currently I’d say there’s bit of a decrease,” said Sehlahle Masemola, deputy national police commissioner
-eNCA