Xenophobic attacks cause unrest in Joburg
JEPPESTOWN - Xenophobic violence which flared up overnight, led to police using deadly force on residents, who were demanding foreigners to leave the country.
UPDATE: 17 April 2015, 10:15am – According to reports twitter, it is believed that xenophobic crowds are chanting outside the hostel. Our journalist is at the scene. Updates to follow.
#Xenophobia Crowds chanting outside the #Jeppestown hostel. pic.twitter.com/4YpZmIPp9a
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) April 17, 2015
Ewu! Popo closed off the street cos there's what looks like a burnt van in the middle of the road 😦 #Jeppestown pic.twitter.com/4NVWvk2IoJ
— Tlale (@Tlale_K) April 17, 2015
According to EWN, locals barricaded roads in the area with rocks and burning tyres, demanding foreigners to leave the country.
Many foreign owned shops within the Joburg CBD were looted and vandalised, with some foreigners opting to stay in the area, to protect their belongings.
The violence came just hours after Mayor Parks Tau released a statement which denied violence in the area. According to the statement, there was a Metro Police operation in support of a SARS business visit in the area, which had a high police presence. Locals and foreigners in the area believed the police presence was due to threats of xenophobic attacks.
It is believed that 12 people have been arrested.
View some tweets about the xenophobic attacks below:
#JeppesTown PHOTO: Hostel residents strip a burnt out car for scrap metal. pic.twitter.com/zTD6aZzij7
— Nickolaus Bauer (@NickolausBauer) April 17, 2015
PHOTO: #JeppesTown aftermath. Torched vehicles and smouldering factories. pic.twitter.com/7mXwSRym5L
— Nickolaus Bauer (@NickolausBauer) April 17, 2015
#Xenophobia #Jeppestown It seems like new fires will be started up in the street soon MV pic.twitter.com/lbselhOloL
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) April 17, 2015
#Jeppestown stones and rubber bullets fly @eNCAnews
— Lenyaro Sello (@lenyarosello) April 17, 2015
#Jeppestown @eNCAnews pic.twitter.com/PQz26hsBLW
— Lenyaro Sello (@lenyarosello) April 17, 2015
#NoToXenophobia #Jeppestown Cultural boycott is the least the world could do to force our Gov to truly commit to stopping the carnage.
— Hopewell Radebe (@radebeh) April 17, 2015
