Mossel Bay residents from Limpopo also ordered to leave amid unrest

Video

MOSSEL BAY NEWS & VIDEO - Foreign nationals weren’t the only people affected by the unrest that erupted in Mossel Bay on Friday 29 May.

According to some South African citizens, who are originally from Limpopo but were living in Asla Park, they were also told to go back to where they had come from during the unrest.

Mossel Bay Advertiser visited one of the temporary shelters that had been set up for those who were displaced due to the weekend’s suspected xenophobic unrest.

Among these individuals were Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals, as well as the South Africans from Limpopo.

One man from Limpopo said it was thanks to his neighbour that he, his wife and their little 10-month-old baby girl were able to get out safely.

“I take my baby and run away with my wife around 02:00 on Saturday morning. My neighbour comes early to us [and says], ‘Run away with your child, because there are some guys coming.’ So this guy comes for my house and burns it down. We are lucky, because if they found us there in the house, I don’t know ...”

VIDEO: Malawians, Zimbabweans, South Africans affected by Mossel Bay’s suspected xenophobia

Video: Gabriélla Siebritz

Another man from Limpopo said he had been renting a place in Giyani, but was also forced to leave due to his landlord’s fear that the people would burn his place down too if they found someone from Limpopo living there. He is a Tsonga man, and said they were ordered to leave because they were not Xhosa; and if they wouldn’t do so, they would be killed. “So that is why I ran away.”

A man from Malawi, in his 50s, said his landlord had helped him to get to the shelter. “He is a Xhosa, but he is a good man.”

He said not everyone in the community were taking part in the violence, but those who were, were “killing people as if they are killing dogs”.

“And here we have people from Limpopo; they are not Zimbabweans, but South Africans; they are being chased away. So I fear if these guys are chasing the other tribe, what else will happen to me, [who comes from Malawi]? So I fear I have to go home. Even if we are poor, God will give us something there. We have been coming here, because we are poor in Malawi; we can’t find a job. Financially, everything there, it is not working, that’s why people are flocking here, so they can have a better life.”

But he does not intend to return to South Africa later. He says he is too old for that, though some of the younger people might return.

However, a young Malawian man in his 20s said he would not come back to South Africa after he returned to his home country. “Ever since I came here, in 2019, I didn’t see anything like [what] I see now. It is very dangerous.”

The people at this particular shelter are reportedly expected to be relocated to an as yet unknown location later this week.

No more donations are currently needed.

Previous articles: