Tshwane municipal officials met with the Olievenhoutbosch community on Wednesday in an attempt to defuse clashes between South Africans, Zimbabweans and Mozambicans which have claimed two lives and left at least 11 injured so far.
”The mayor [Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa], council representatives and the police met with community members this afternoon to get to the root of the problem and to come up with possible solutions,” said mayoral spokesperson William Baloyi.
Inspector Katlego Mogale initially said five people had died in the clashes in the Shoba informal settlement in Olievenhoutbosch, south-west of Pretoria — one on the scene and four en route to hospital.
However, she later revised this figure downwards, to only two deaths. She blamed the change on a ”miscommunication” between stakeholders.
The dead and injured had been beaten with sticks, whips and improvised weapons.
Although no arrests had been made, several of the injured were being held for questioning. A 9mm gun dropped in the conflict had been confiscated.
Mogale said the combatants were initially grouped in tens, but had since split up into smaller gangs.
The police presence in the area had been increased and patrols were being conducted, he said.
According to the community, tensions between South Africans and the area’s population of mostly illegal immigrants were sparked with the fatal stabbing of a youth on December 24, explained Baloyi.
”A rumour started to circulate that the man had been killed by a foreigner and some members of the community took it upon themselves to avenge his death by attacking foreigners,” he said.
Residents went from house-to-house checking for foreigners and chasing them from the area.
The situation seemed to normalise after a mass meeting on December 27, the arrest of foreign nationals not in possession of legitimate documentation and the absence of others who went home for the holidays.
”Upon their return the troubles started up once more,” Baloyi continued.
Criminals were now taking advantage of the situation, bursting into homes and stealing television sets, cellphones and money.
While community members had complained that government houses were being allocated to foreigners, it had transpired that homeowners were renting these to foreigners or that foreigners were living in the houses with their South African girlfriends, said Baloyi.
”People in the Shoba area, which has no proper roads or infrastructure, will be moved to an adjacent property with proper stands and adequate facilities, in order to ease the housing situation,” he said. – Sapa