Des Erasmus
A Malawian man was killed and two other people were seriously injured after a group broke away from an anti-immigration march in Pietermaritzburg and attacked people at the Jika Joe informal settlement, KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli said on Saturday.
The killing took place on Friday after a march of more than 2,000 people — led by March and March — moved from Dales Park to the Pietermaritzburg City Hall “without incident”, according to the provincial government.
But after the march ended, a group allegedly went to Jika Joe, where the Malawian national was fatally attacked.
News24 reported police saying the man was found near a riverbed, where he had slipped, with a cut to his head and injuries to his mouth. Two others were assaulted and admitted to hospital for treatment. Police said the circumstances leading to the attack were under investigation.
Said Ntuli: “The loss of human life under these circumstances is deeply regrettable and unacceptable. While citizens have a constitutional right to raise concerns and participate in peaceful demonstrations, no grievance, frustration or disagreement can ever justify acts of violence, vigilantism, mob justice or the targeting of any individual or group,”
“Criminality must never be allowed to masquerade as activism or community action.”
30 June anti-illegal immigrant ‘deadline’
The killing comes as KZN — known for xenophobic violence and murders in the past — and other parts of South Africa face increased tensions over immigration, with anti-illegal immigration groups led by March and March pushing a 30 June “deadline” for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country, or be forcibly removed by locals.
Government has not endorsed the ultimatum and has repeatedly said immigration enforcement must be handled by the state.
In Durban, thousands of Malawian nationals have been camped at the Sherwood Hall area, about six kilometres from the city centre, where many have sought help to return home because of the escalating threats and intimidation. Dozens of those at the site were chased from informal settlements in and around the Durban area.
But overcrowding at the Sherwood site has led to a second processing hub being set up at the old Durban Drive-in site, close to prime tourist attractions Suncoast Casino and the Gold Mile beachfront precinct. Marquees and other facilities were already erected at the drive-in site when Inside Politics visited it on Saturday morning.
eThekwini mayor, Cyril Xaba, said on Saturday that two 5 000 capacity marquees had been erected at the site, and that “meals, and other basic necessities donated by non-governmental organisations” would be available for the foreign nationals.
“We are grateful to officials from the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for the excellent work they have done in the past few days in processing individuals.
“To date, close to 4 000 people have been deported or repatriated,” he said.
“We have seen a significant improvement in the pace of deportations.
“Yesterday (Friday) alone, we were able to dispatch eight buses carrying 784 people returning to Malawi,” Xaba said at the press briefing.
“To speed up the process, we have now migrated from deportation to repatriation, which has several advantages.
“This process is less bureaucratic as it is implemented through cooperation with the Malawian government and it does not require court processes.”
Home Affairs has been processing repatriation and deportation cases using mobile facilities at Sherwood. That site will remain open, according to the municipality.
Home Affairs said earlier this week that 1,876 Malawians processed at Sherwood had been found to have flouted immigration laws, including visa overstays, expired permits and undocumented status. A special virtual court was also set up at Sherwood to deal with processing.
The situation at Sherwood turned tense this week when police clashed with the Malawian nationals who said they were frustrated by delays in the repatriation process. Police used rubber bullets and flash bangs to calm the crowds, who started pelting officials and police with stones, because of the delays.
Strong police presence at Sherwood
When Inside Politics visited the site on Saturday, some of the Malawians were already being bused to the drive-in site. The area was calm, with an exceptionally high police presence, but the stench of urine and faeces hung in the air, forcing police and other officials to wear masks, they told Inside Politics.
Police and an immigration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorised to speak to the media, said it was their understanding that only women camped at the site were being moved to the drive-in site, for now. Xaba confirmed that at his press briefing.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned citizens against scapegoating foreign nationals for unemployment, crime and poor public services, saying government must address immigration lawfully while preventing “vigilantism and instability”.
Ntuli said communities had genuine concerns about illegal immigration and socio-economic pressures, but said that these could not justify violence.
“[T]he actions of criminal elements who exploit public gatherings and community concerns to commit acts of violence undermine legitimate civic activism and threaten social cohesion. Such conduct must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he said.
“It is therefore unfortunate that criminal elements appear to have hijacked the situation and tarnished thedemonstration. Those responsible for these acts must face the full might of the law.”
Ntuli called on police and other law enforcement agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killing and assaults.
“We expect a thorough and swift investigation. Those who planned, incited or participated in these criminal acts must be brought to book. No one is above the law, and there can be no impunity for acts of violence and murder.”
Cachalia briefed on demonstrations
Also on Saturday, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia met with police management to be briefed about the state of readiness ahead of the 30 June demonstrations.
According to SAPS, Cachalia received “detailed presentations on national and provincial operational plans aimed at ensuring that all demonstrations take place in a safe, secure and peaceful manner”.
“Following the briefing, the Acting Minister expressed satisfaction with the measures that have been put in place by the SAPS,” police said.
They said Cachalia and deputy ministers of police will, in the coming weeks, meet with the minister of defence and premiers of all nine provinces to “reinforce effective coordination and monitoring among all relevant security role players and to ensure adequate support ahead of the planned demonstrations”.
“In addition, they will also meet with representatives of the private security industry, recognising their important role as force multipliers in enhancing safety and security.
“The Ministry of Police will further conduct visits to identified areas that have experienced heightened levels of instability to assess operational readiness and reinforce policing efforts.”
Said Cachalia: “While the constitutional right to peaceful protest will be respected, no acts of lawlessness, violence, intimidation or criminality will be tolerated.
“Weekly enforcement operations remain ongoing to verify the legal status of foreign nationals in the country.
“These operations are aimed at ensuring that all foreign nationals residing in South Africa are in the country legally and are in possession of valid documentation.
“Where violations of the law are identified, appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the law.”
INSIDE POLITICS
