Top KwaZulu-Natal government officials and chiefs were yesterday struggling to find accommodation for scores of people displaced by xenophobic violence in the province.
More than 350 people have sought refuge from the Isiphingo police station after fleeing violent attacks in the township near Durban.
Police struggled to carry out their normal duties due to congestion at the station.
Mobs of looters went on the rampage on Monday, looting and assaulting foreign nationals, claiming they were following orders from Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
This was after the monarch allegedly called on foreign nationals to leave the country in a public address two weeks ago.
The SA Human Rights Commission has instituted an inquiry into Zwelithini's remarks.
Yesterday, a meeting between KZN MEC for community safety and liaison Willies Mchunu, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo, police, residents and representatives of foreign nationals lasted for hours.
The meeting was aimed at finding alternative accommodation for the foreigners - including infants, school children and women.
Mchunu's spokesman Kwanele Ncalane said they were doing everything possible to curb the xenophobic attacks and ensure that it was safe for foreigners to return to their homes.
Yesterday, the chairman of the Ingonyama Trust Board, Judge Jerome Ngwenya, distanced Zwelithini from the looting and violence. "The king believes that what is happening in Isiphingo and other areas is wrong and he strongly condemns it," said Ngwenya. "There is nowhere during his speech where the king say people must go about looting and assaulting foreign people."
He said Zwelithini only said that "those foreign nationals who are in the country illegally, and who are committing crimes, must go back to their countries".
Sowetan has learnt from residents that the violence was sparked by the firing of hundreds of striking workers from a local factory.
The anger was triggered after owners of the wholesale replaced the striking workers with foreigners.
Kwenza Msomi, who sells herbal medicines not far from the wholesale and who saw the attacks from the beginning, said the striking workers said they could not just walk away from their jobs and be replaced by the foreigners.
"They started singing and agitating against the wholesale security staff. Other people soon joined in and foreign-owned shops, salons and other businesses came under attack," she said.
"I saw many foreigners fleeing for their dear lives. Even those who were hired to work in the supermarkets were escorted by the police as people wanted to kill them," he said.
A man in his 20s who identified himself as Themba, said he had participated in the attack against foreigners.
"When we go to look for work we don't get it but these foreigners go to their home countries and bring in their brothers and sisters to take our jobs.
"We are saying enough is enough. Even the king is saying these people must go back to their countries so that we can get back our jobs."
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Officials overwhelmed by displaced foreigners
Top KwaZulu-Natal government officials and chiefs were yesterday struggling to find accommodation for scores of people displaced by xenophobic violence in the province.
More than 350 people have sought refuge from the Isiphingo police station after fleeing violent attacks in the township near Durban.
Police struggled to carry out their normal duties due to congestion at the station.
Mobs of looters went on the rampage on Monday, looting and assaulting foreign nationals, claiming they were following orders from Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
This was after the monarch allegedly called on foreign nationals to leave the country in a public address two weeks ago.
The SA Human Rights Commission has instituted an inquiry into Zwelithini's remarks.
Yesterday, a meeting between KZN MEC for community safety and liaison Willies Mchunu, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo, police, residents and representatives of foreign nationals lasted for hours.
The meeting was aimed at finding alternative accommodation for the foreigners - including infants, school children and women.
Mchunu's spokesman Kwanele Ncalane said they were doing everything possible to curb the xenophobic attacks and ensure that it was safe for foreigners to return to their homes.
Yesterday, the chairman of the Ingonyama Trust Board, Judge Jerome Ngwenya, distanced Zwelithini from the looting and violence. "The king believes that what is happening in Isiphingo and other areas is wrong and he strongly condemns it," said Ngwenya. "There is nowhere during his speech where the king say people must go about looting and assaulting foreign people."
He said Zwelithini only said that "those foreign nationals who are in the country illegally, and who are committing crimes, must go back to their countries".
Sowetan has learnt from residents that the violence was sparked by the firing of hundreds of striking workers from a local factory.
The anger was triggered after owners of the wholesale replaced the striking workers with foreigners.
Kwenza Msomi, who sells herbal medicines not far from the wholesale and who saw the attacks from the beginning, said the striking workers said they could not just walk away from their jobs and be replaced by the foreigners.
"They started singing and agitating against the wholesale security staff. Other people soon joined in and foreign-owned shops, salons and other businesses came under attack," she said.
"I saw many foreigners fleeing for their dear lives. Even those who were hired to work in the supermarkets were escorted by the police as people wanted to kill them," he said.
A man in his 20s who identified himself as Themba, said he had participated in the attack against foreigners.
"When we go to look for work we don't get it but these foreigners go to their home countries and bring in their brothers and sisters to take our jobs.
"We are saying enough is enough. Even the king is saying these people must go back to their countries so that we can get back our jobs."
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos