Winde Condemns Xenophobic Violence
Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, has denounced the violence against foreign nationals following recent riots and attacks that have compelled hundreds of migrants to escape the province.
This denunciation arises amid escalating tensions within communities.
Recently, students at Masibambane High School and Hector Peterson High School reportedly assaulted a foreign national, wreaking havoc on school staff, passing motorists, and fruit stall owners.
The unrest has extended throughout the province, affecting Mossel Bay, Kleinmond, Gansbaai, and Stanford, where anti-immigrant demonstrations and incidents of intimidation have driven numerous foreign nationals from their residences.
It has been reported that around 300 Mozambican nationals have already returned home, while many others are currently in temporary shelters across the province, awaiting support and verification of their immigration status.
Winde stated: “The Western Cape Government Cabinet vehemently condemns all instances of violence, intimidation, or lawlessness against foreign nationals.”
While officials believe the situation is stabilizing, the Premier urged SAPS leadership to enhance intelligence-gathering initiatives to avert further unrest and confirmed that mediators have been sent to the affected communities.
He also offered all available resources from the provincial government to SAPS and other authorities to prevent any additional escalation.
Winde added: “South Africa operates as a constitutional democracy, and any frustrations regarding immigration policies should be addressed through lawful channels and by the appropriate authorities. No individual or group has the right to take the law into their own hands.”
The most severe incidents of violence were reported in Mossel Bay, where roughly 55 shacks were torched in the Asla Park informal settlement in KwaNonqaba.
Tragically, unrest turned fatal when the bodies of two men, aged 27 and 43, both Mozambican nationals, were found with injuries consistent with assault on Saturday. In a separate incident on Sunday, an 18-year-old South African man was fatally stabbed in the New Rest informal settlement.
Brigadier Novela Potelwa, spokesperson for the Western Cape police, reported that George Public Order Police officers, assisted by local police, disaster management officials, and fire services, responded to the violence.
Potelwa remarked: “The deployment of police alongside local fire services and disaster management teams helped to quell the situation, which led to the displacement of several people.”