Honeydew, Johannesburg | Monday
COMMUNITY leaders at an informal settlement in Honeydew, western Johannesburg vowed on Monday to drive out all Zimbabwean residents in the area after simmering tensions boiled over at the weekend.
Violence at the Zandspruit informal settlement broke out on Sunday when South African residents set fire to their Zimbabwean neighbours’ homes.
Police arrested 20 people on charges of public violence after 74 shacks were gutted by fire and 124 others looted.
The dispute between the South Africans and Zimbabweans is believed to have begun in September when a woman was killed at the settlement and it was rumoured that a Zimbabwean citizen was the culprit.
On Monday, community development forum representative Lefty Mukhada accused the Zimbabweans of killing South Africans.
”We want them out or the government must find them another place.
”We tried to harbour them but they kill us,” he said.
Mukhada denied that the determination to drive out the Zimbabweans was the result of xenophobia.
– Police representative Terry-Ann Booyse said about 40 Zimbabweans slept at a nearby police station overnight after fleeing the attacks.
She said a shack was burnt to the ground on Monday morning but no injuries were reported.
Police have also arranged accommodation for the Zimbabweans.
Women and children will be allowed to stay at the Mabunda shelter in central Johannesburg and men at the OJC shelter in Roodepoort.
Booyse said police would patrol the area for the rest of the day.
Six people were injured on Sunday when police used rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
Police have also said that they will only mediate once tensions have been defused. – Sapa