African nationals in South Africa appeal for relocation

Hundreds of foreign nationals demanded to be relocated from South Africa after camping at the UN refugee agency offices for a week.

They took to the streets of Cape Town on Wednesday after a surge in xenophobic attacks last month.

“I found myself, I mean nothing, 15 years in South Africa. But I still have that feeling to go to university but they stop me. That is, I can’t take it anymore. It’s better I must leave this country. It’s better I must leave (points to paper in her hand). That is the evidence”, a Congolese refugee, Mireille Mwaka said.

We are making things easy for them so we want to leave the country to go to a safe place.

For Sylvia Nahimana, refugee from Burundi “we are making things easy for them so we want to leave the country to go to a safe place. You can kill someone everyday, there will be day other people will say, we are tired up to here. So we don’t want to negotiate anything there’s no negotiations. We really want to be out of this country as soon as possible, please.”

The foreigner nationals, many of whom describe themselves as asylum-seekers say they no longer feel safe.

A xenophobic attack in South Africa last month led to the death of at least 12 people.Hundreds of foreign-owned businesses and properties were destroyed.

AFP