Foreign nationals in South Africa seek community protection after weekend of deadly violence

At least two people died after anti-immigrant protests in South Africa's Western Cape this weekend turned violent. Now foreign nationals in the country are seeking shelter in community centres, while others are leaving the country.

Carrying their belongings through the night, foreign nationals along the coast of South Africa’s Western Cape, are fleeing their homes after a weekend of anti-immigrant violence.

On Friday, angry locals in Mossel Bay torched 55 shacks after a small protest against illegal migrants accused of taking jobs from locals, officials said.

South African authorities say two Mozambicans were killed. But Maputo claims five of its nationals died as a result of what it called “xenophobic violence.”

These are the first deaths since a new wave of anti-migrant protests began sweeping the country.

Police only confirmed that two Mozambicans, aged 27 and 43, had died after being assaulted following the march. The circumstances were being investigated, they said, refusing to confirm a link with xenophobic sentiment.

The body of an 18-year-old South African was found with stab wounds in the same area on Sunday, police said, adding he had been involved in an attempted robbery. Five people had been arrested since the violence broke out, three of them on charges related to public violence and the possession of stolen property, they said.

The Mozambique government said 300 Mozambican nationals had returned home on Saturday.

"The remaining just over 500 have since been sheltered in a safe location in the Western Cape Province, and as of... 1 June, the process of their repatriation to Mozambique is already underway," it said.

Mossel Bay mayor, Dirk Kotze, at the weekend voiced "deep concern and dismay at the current xenophobic attacks where people have been murdered, houses burned and families displaced."

'Many of them are afraid'

Now many of the displaced people are seeking shelter in community centres.

”The people, they just chased us away," says Thomas Vincent Baloyoi, a displaced Malawian national who sought shelter at a centre in Kleinmond. "They didn't ask us we have a document or not. Just chased us away like dogs so that thing is unfair because actually I'm a human being.”

"In the community there were Somailians, Malawians, Zimbabweans, Zambians, Congos," says Michael Markson, who was also displaced. "Many of them are afraid, others they are still there living but they are locked inside their houses.”

Grant Cohen is speaker of the Overstrand Municipality:

"We are going to be open until this is resolved. We will not put somebody out. We want this space to be available for anyone who comes in. As I say there are still more people arriving. So we don't know how many we are going to end up here. But we will be open until this is resolved.”

Ghana last week evacuated 300 of its citizens. On Tuesday, Malawi joined Nigeria in announcing repatriations for any nationals requesting assistance.

June 30 'order'

After one citizen-led organisation demanded that undocumented foreign nationals exit South Africa by June 30, there have been reports of vigilante groups checking the documentation of foreign nationals and forcing small businesses run by non-South Africans to close.

The action has no official backing and has been criticised by the authorities.

Last month several hundred foreign nationals from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Somalia sought protection in the eastern port city of Durban, saying locals were going door-to-door to tell them to leave by the end of the month.

Several countries including Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have meanwhile urged their citizens in South Africa to exercise caution.

South Africa has experienced repeated waves of xenophobic violence over the past decades.

The latest spike comes as political parties seek support ahead of local government elections in November.

In 2008, 62 people -- including 21 South Africans -- were killed in anti-immigrant riots that also displaced thousands. Further outbreaks followed in 2015 and 2016.