Mobs of armed South African men attacked and killed immigrants in an unprecedented two-week wave of xenophobic violence.
It is estimated that more than 30 000 foreign nationals, mostly from
Zimbabwe, Mozambique and other African countries, fled xenophobic attacks in
poor South African townships and sought refuge in police stations, churches
and public buildings.
President Thabo Mbeki’s government has been roundly criticised by relief agencies and the United Nations over poor conditions in the shelters and has since started relocating the refugees to temporary tented camps in Gauteng province and elsewhere around the country.
“By end of July we shouldn’t have tents in Gauteng,” Dorothy Mahlangu, a minister in the Gauteng government, told the media in Cape Town. She added that those who did not want to be reintegrated into the community would be sent home to their respective countries and that the government was working with neighbouring countries on arrangements to smooth repatriation.
Zimbabwe’s state media said the country was preparing to receive 2 500 of its citizens set to be repatriated from South Africa.
The violent attacks on foreigners started on May 12 in Johannesburg’s
Alexandra township. It spread to other townships in Diepsloot, Hillbrow, Jeppe, Cleveland, Thokoza and Tembisa leaving thousands without shelter or food after their homes were looted and burnt down. The violence also spread to the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Mpumalanga and Western Cape.
About 50 000 migrants fearing further attacks in South Africa have since left the country, with the bulk going to neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said there had been no fresh attacks since shortly after soldiers were sent into the townships, though he added that Mbeki might extend the army’s deployment when it expires this weekend. Nqakula added that 1 436 people had been charged with murder, arson, assault
and other crimes in connection with the violence. – ZimOnline
Harare bans 3 aid agencies
HARARE
The Zimbabwe government has banned three international aid agencies from working in the country, accusing them of using aid distribution to campaign for the opposition ahead of a second round presidential election later this month.
The national association of NGOs said on Wednesday that the Harare administration ordered Save the Children UK, CARE International and ADRA to stop relief operations in the country.
The association rejected charges that the three groups, or any of its members, were involved in politics or campaigned for opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan Tsvangirai who faces President Robert Mugabe in the June 27 ballot.
The association said that it strongly denied the false allegations and condemns subsequent bans on NGO activities. (Association) members in the humanitarian sector have always conducted their work in a non-partisan manner, using internationally agreed principles.”
 Mugabe’s government has in recent weeks stepped up pressure against NGOs that it accuses of using food aid distribution as a pretext to campaign for Tsvangirai. – ZimOnline
Voters removed from roll
HARARE
The MDC leader, has accused the Registrar of Voters, Tobaiwa Mudede, of removing names of some people from the voters’ roll ahead of the crunch June 27 presidential election run-off.
The MDC has decided to seek the intervention of the courts so that Mudede, and the former Minister of Home Affairs, Kembo Mohadi, could be interdicted from removing any person’s name from the voters’ roll.
The MDC, through its Harare lawyers, also wants Mudede and Mohadi to be ordered to reinstate everyone who has been removed from the voters’ roll without complying with sections 25, 30, 31 and 32 of the Electoral Act.
In the application, the MDC requests the court to order Mohadi to extend the period stipulated in section 9 (7) of the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act (Chapter 4:01) as amended by section 3 of the same Act.
In an affidavit attached to the urgent application, the MDC said: “We have received scores of complaints by persons who were previously on the voters’ roll and who have been summarily and unlawfully removed from it by Mudede’s officials. These complaints have come from both Zimbabwean citizens and eligible permanent residents.- ZimOnline
Post published in: News