Malawians survive attack

A group of eight Malawian men are being kept in a place of safety after they were attacked in their Lwandle home last Sunday.

The assault is believed to be of a xenophobic nature and comes after incidents of xenophobic violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng claiming the lives of seven people, including three South Africans.

These violent attacks are believed to have been spurred on by comments by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, apparently referring to foreigners as "lice" and saying they should leave South Africa. The local attack happened in Asanda Village, Cape Town, after a group of men forced their way into the Nqolwana Street home.

According to police spokesperson Sergeant Mthokozisi Gama, the attackers broke down a door and used sticks to attack eight Malawian men while they were sleeping. The Malawians outran their attackers and sought refuge at the Lwandle Police Station.

Two of the men (23 and 30 years old) sustained serious head injuries and have been admitted to Helderberg Hospital. All eight men have since been accommodated in a place of safety.

Major General Johan Brandt, head of the Khayelitsha cluster police, says eight men were arrested soon afterwards with the help of the community and the police's crime intelligence. The South African men allegedly said foreigners were not welcome in South Africa and that they did not want them in Lwandle.

The men will appear in the Strand Magistrate's Court on 30 April on charges of assault. They will remain in custody until then. Brandt says the attack on the Malawians was an isolated incident and that no other attacks on foreigners have been reported since.

He says the Malawians rented the house from a family member of one of the attackers and that the motive may have been jealousy. At a public meeting on Sunday, Brandt praised the police for their swift response and urged residents to refrain from xenophobic attacks.

Siyabonga Macaula, the Lwandle CPF chairperson, says attacks on foreign nationals are condemned.

"We want the community to know we are all brothers and sisters. We do not want segregation and want foreigners to stay in South Africa," he said.

Macaula says a march against xenophobia is being planned. Lead SA hosted a silent vigil at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg on Tuesday against xenophobic violence in South Africa. Mcebisi Skwatsha, Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Land Reform planned a visit to Lwandle.

Meanwhile, there was heavy police and army presence in Johannesburg's Hillbrow on Monday, heavily armed and stopping private cars and taxis. A source in Gauteng has said that they were asking for passports on all foreigners, those found without passports were put in the police vans. The source also said that when the police took her passport, they told her that Zimbabweans are the reason for the outbreak of xenophobic attacks and must be sent home because they are too many here.

However, the source said the police were also targeting those undocumented people who are residing in South Africa illegally to do away with criminal elements. Furthermore, the police targeted Nigerians who are touted to be involved a lot in criminal activities which included drug trafficking.