By Tembile Sgqolana
ADDO in the Eastern Cape was like one of the movie scenes from a Hollywood blockbuster as local residents attacked and forced foreign nationals to flee their homes at the weekend.
Chaos erupted after a local man was allegedly killed by foreign nationals at a tavern in Valencia on Saturday night, 24 May.
South African citizens mobilised on Sunday morning and after a meeting they attacked AboMyfriend ekasi, leaving three dead and 10 others injured.
Community leader Kevin Mapurisa, a Zimbabwean national who has lived in Valencia for over 15 years, described the violent scene as horrific.
Many women and kids sought shelter in the surrounding bush or hid in ditches overnight, too afraid to travel to the police station as angry residents went house to house checking for foreign nationals.
On Monday morning displaced foreign nationals one of the foreign of three, Vimbai Chiware, a single mother of three, said the mob was baying for blood.
“It’s freezing cold, and I don’t know when this will end,” she said.
Chris Mapingure, chairman of the Zimbabwe Migrants Support Network, said: “There’s no food, no sanitation. Babies don’t have nappies or
medicine. It’s desperate.
“As the organisation, we have hired two trucks to evacuate women and children to safety in
Gqeberha. More evacuations are planned.”
Sundays River Valley Municipality called for calm in Addo.
“The municipality is calling for calm and urges residents to avoid taking the law into their own hands and let authorities handle violence and crime,” said the municipality in a statement.
Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said a South African man was killed on Saturday night at a tavern in Valencia in Addo, allegedly an immigrant.
“On Sunday, revenge attacks erupted, and foreign nationals were targeted at random. Police are investigating murder (four counts), and attempted murder (10 counts). More arrests are imminent.
Acting provincial commissioner in the Eastern Cape, Major-General Thandiswa Kupiso is appealing for calm.
She further urged community leaders to assist with engagement.
On Tuesday, 27 May Nkohli said the situation was still tense, and there is heavy police presence in the area with other law enforcement agencies, assisting as force multipliers.
“This morning around 6am, there were sporadic groups of people who started burning tyres on the roads, but that situation was dealt with,” he said.
He said arrangements have been made to accommodate stranded
Foreign nationals..
“Most of them have been accommodated in temporary shelters outside Addo. Police have also placed a team of detectives to work on the cases that were opened, and as soon they are finished with the investigation, arrests will follow,” said Nkohli.
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