By RFIPalled on 02-09-2019Modified on 02-09-2019 at 17:51
In South Africa, recent hours have been marked by violence against foreign nationals (Africans). Since Sunday, September 1, hundreds of stores have been vandalized and there are three deaths according to authorities in Johannesburg. This Monday, the day of mobilization of some South Africans, who want to get rid of foreigners, continues. This protest movement was launched by truck drivers, who have been arresting foreign drivers for weeks and are burning their cargoes. The movement had increased last week in the center of the capital Pretoria, with the looting of many shops run by migrants.
It is a national movement launched by several corporations. Two in particular: truck drivers as well as taxi associations. Like last week in Pretoria, taxi drivers in the city of Johannesburg went to burn dozens of foreign-owned shops.
This violence is not recent . For a year, foreign drivers, Zimbabweans, Congolese or Zambians have been persecuted on the roads because they have been accused of stealing work from locals. 200 have died in this violence for a year .
Today, it is time to do battle, according to South African drivers, who have installed informal dams on many roads in the country. But in fact the bulk of the violence has been concentrated in at least seven neighborhoods in Johannesburg since Sunday night, when ordinary citizens come to destroy loot and burn.
No South African store was vandalized
In the south of Johannesburg, in the district of Turffontein, more than 500 inhabitants attacked a dozen stores, looting everything in their path. It is very clear that the targeted institutions belong to foreigners, Pakistanis, Somalis or Nigerians. No South African store has been vandalized. And so it's the same configuration in at least six other neighborhoods.
The situation is extremely tense in the rest of the city. The shops in the city center are closed for the most part. Police are accused of inaction by civil society. In fact, they are completely overwhelmed by these spontaneous gatherings. They could not prevent the death of three people last night. Three people burned in their store, just after seeing dozens of South Africans breaking the shop window and stealing their products.
For an initial assessment on Monday, September 2, there are about fifty vandalized stores, more than sixty arrests and therefore three deaths for the moment. A police officer confided to RFI that the balance sheet should rise quickly given the chaos that reigns in the streets of Johannesburg.
South Africa 🇿🇦
Numerous xenophobic rallies and looting of foreign-owned shops in at least seven districts of Johannesburg.
More than fifty stores vandalized. 3 dead. @ RFI @RFIAfrica pic.twitter.com/sWBg1uu8Ec
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