Foreigners finds sympathy
2008-05-29
Lise Beyers
THE broad public across the Drakenstein area opened up their hearts to foreign nationals this past week, when the scourge of xenophobia moved into the area. Local police have been on high alert since Friday, as tempers started to flare in Fairyland and Mbekweni, when rogue gangs of vandals attacked shops and homes belonging to foreign nationals. But at the first sign of this, heavily armed police officials descended upon the area to restore the peace. Despite this, hundreds of foreign nationals, many of them Somalians and Zimbabweans in fear of their lives, fled their homes and sought refuge at the Paarl East and Mbekweni police stations. As the threat mounted in neighbourhoods, more than 400 people sought refuge from possible persecution at Mbekweni police station alone, bringing along with them all their worldly belongings. Social services and various religious and welfare organisations immediately step- ped in to assist the police to esta- blish safe havens for the refugees until the situation stabilised. Garth Morkel, head of Social Development, said that his department had been inundated by organisations and members of the public who had opened their hearts to the foreign nationals, readily donating food, blankets and toiletries. Fleeing foreigners in Franschhoek were housed in the town hall and were fed and cared for by the community. Some of these people have already returned to their countries, while others have been asking for assistance to do so. By late Monday more than 500 foreigners were being housed at the recreation site, Antoniesvlei outside Wellington, while others found refuge at the Salvation Army in Paarl. Moslem Somalians were being cared for by the local Moslem community. Once the situation has subsided, the immigrants will be placed back into the communities. On Sunday more than 800 people marched through the streets of Mbekweni in protest of senseless acts of violence towards foreign nationals. Dir Mzwandile Tiyo, Paarl police station-commander, condemned the acts of xenophobia and appealed to the public to remain calm. “We will not tolerate any acts of aggression or violence towards foreign nationals. Paarl police station as well as its surrounding stations are monitoring the situation closely and have a 24-hour telephone line available, should foreigners fall victim to such attacks.” To report such incidents, contact the police at Paarl 021-807-4222, Paarl East 021-887-5246/47, Mbekweni 021-868-9901 and Wellington 021-864-8467.
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