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South Africa Xenophobia: Zambian protest, Nigerians online fume, Ethiopia caution

South Africa Xenophobia: Zambian protest, Nigerians online fume, Ethiopia caution

South Africa

Offshoots of the latest xenophobic incidents in South Africa’s city of Johannesburg has sparked off citizen reactions in some African countries – specifically in Zambia, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Concerned Zambians plan protest

A group of concerned citizens in Zambia have written to the police with notice of a peaceful march and gathering at the premises of the South African Embassy in the capital Lusaka.

The group said the march was “to show displeasure to the South African government for the horrific conduct exhibited by their citizens and complacent approach their government has taken.

The march planned for September 4 it added: “is in no ways intended to cause any harm but just to communicate our concerns and observations,” the statement added. Clearance has yet to be given.

Ethiopia Embassy cautions citizens in SA – FANA report

The Ethiopian Embassy in South Africa advised Ethiopians to distance themselves from any confrontation and conflict until the current situation is stabilized.

It also advised them not to wear expensive jewelries and if possible, to close their shops, until peace is restored.

The Embassy also called on them to report any suspicious activity to police or to contact the embassy using telephone numbers 012 346 42 57 and 012 346 29 47.

Nigerians plan business retaliation

Nigeria’s government in a statement condemned the violence of Monday September 2 but citizens on social media have severally condemned the violence and called for drastic action.

A 2017 video of South Africa’s former Deputy Police Minister, Bongani Mkongi, shared by a local portal, The Signal Nigeria, has got Nigerians rattled.

Tweeps are calling for an economic boycott that could adversely affect South African business interests in Nigeria. Already there are calls for boycott of among others, MTN, Shoprite, DSTv and Stanbic bank.

A number of people are, however, quick to point out that the boycott will affect mostly Nigerians because most employees of these outlets are locals.

September 2 Johannesburg violence

Looting and violence spread across several neighbourhoods in the major cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg. It followed a spate of overnight attacks which appeared to target foreign-owned shops.

At least 50 shops were looted and burned in the southern Johannesburg suburbs of Malvern and Jeppestown. Police fired rubber bullets at looters as burnt cars were stranded on the roads.

Bheki Cele, South African Police Minister said: “For me, it’s pure criminality, people looting and all that, and using that as xenophobia. But for now there is nothing that has sparked any form of conflict between South Africans and foreign nationals.

“We dealing with criminality rather than xenophobia at the present moment,” he added.

Police arrested 41 people for the violence in Johannesburg, while 8 others were arrested in Tembisa township, east of Johannesburg, and one person arrested in the capitol Pretoria, police said.

Monday’s violence followed similar incidents in Pretoria last week, in which protests led by taxi drivers saw several foreign-owned shops looted and torched.

Such violence breaks out sporadically in South Africa, where many nationals blame foreigners for high unemployment, particularly in manual labor.

Last week, Human Rights Watch reported that dozens of truck drivers in the country had died in attacks against foreigners since March 2018.

The report was released following recent spate of xenophobic violence fueled by economic decline and record unemployment.

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