News / Africa
Zimbabwean man hit by car in SA 'xenophobic' attack
19 Dec 2013 at 05:28hrs | Views
ZIMBAWEANS in an area of South Africa's Limpopo province have appealed to their "South African brothers and sisters" for peace after a compatriot was "deliberately" knocked down by a car and later died in hospital.
The fatal hit-and-run accident occurred early this month in Tshikota, part of the Vhembe municipal district, and the local Zimbabwean community believe it was connected to xenophobic tensions in the town.
According to the Tshikota Zimbabwe Committee's secretary, Pasipanodya Mate, the accident occurred as a group of Zimbabweans were walking along a street, heading to a local hostel for a meeting.
A South African motorist and Tshikota resident driving a VW Polo suddenly drove through the congested crowd who quickly scattered away.
However, Belief Mupo could not get out of the way and was hit by the car. Mupo later died in Polokwane Hospital.
"We saw it with our own eyes that the driver intended to kill the lot of us by running us over," says Mate. "I informed the police, who were monitoring the situation, but one official answered that 'You Zimbabweans are becoming too many here'."
"I visited (Mupo) at the LTT Memorial and Polokwane hospitals, and he had severe head injuries and other visible injuries on his cheek and mouth," said Mate adding that he found it difficult to understand the kind of hatred displayed by some South Africans in Tshikota.
"We understand that there might be some people from Zim who also steal from South Africans, but that doesn't mean that all Zimbabweans in South Africa are criminals," he said.
Violence erupted in Tshikota in the third week of November, after members of the community said that "illegal immigrants and criminals" were terrorising the locals.
"Our purpose for meeting at the community hall was to discuss ways of working hand in glove with our SA brothers and sisters in the war against crime," said Mate.
Mupo's older brother, Junias Mpandasvika, who travelled from Zimbabwe shortly after learning about the accident, opened a case of culpable homicide at the Makhado police station. "I am shocked by my brother's death - why him?" he worried.
Provincial police spokesperson, Ronel Otto, confirmed that a case of culpable homicide was opened on 11 December.
The fatal hit-and-run accident occurred early this month in Tshikota, part of the Vhembe municipal district, and the local Zimbabwean community believe it was connected to xenophobic tensions in the town.
According to the Tshikota Zimbabwe Committee's secretary, Pasipanodya Mate, the accident occurred as a group of Zimbabweans were walking along a street, heading to a local hostel for a meeting.
A South African motorist and Tshikota resident driving a VW Polo suddenly drove through the congested crowd who quickly scattered away.
However, Belief Mupo could not get out of the way and was hit by the car. Mupo later died in Polokwane Hospital.
"We saw it with our own eyes that the driver intended to kill the lot of us by running us over," says Mate. "I informed the police, who were monitoring the situation, but one official answered that 'You Zimbabweans are becoming too many here'."
"We understand that there might be some people from Zim who also steal from South Africans, but that doesn't mean that all Zimbabweans in South Africa are criminals," he said.
Violence erupted in Tshikota in the third week of November, after members of the community said that "illegal immigrants and criminals" were terrorising the locals.
"Our purpose for meeting at the community hall was to discuss ways of working hand in glove with our SA brothers and sisters in the war against crime," said Mate.
Mupo's older brother, Junias Mpandasvika, who travelled from Zimbabwe shortly after learning about the accident, opened a case of culpable homicide at the Makhado police station. "I am shocked by my brother's death - why him?" he worried.
Provincial police spokesperson, Ronel Otto, confirmed that a case of culpable homicide was opened on 11 December.
Source - Zoutnet.co.za
