Five more people, including an eThekwini ward councillor, have been charged with the murder of two foreigners forced to jump off a high-rise building by an armed mob, it emerged in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The Albert Park councillor, Vusumuzi Khoza, had said after the incident that the attack was not xenophobic but criminal. At the time he condemned the crime and pleaded for maximum restraint.
”Opportunists were beginning to paint a picture that it was xenophobia, but it was not,” Khoza told a meeting earlier this month.
Khoza and others also went to the extent of setting up street committees to ensure safety in the Albert Park area.
According to police reports, the foreigners fell to their deaths early last month when they tried to escape from about 150 people, some of whom were carrying bush knives. The mob entered a high-rise building in Albert Park inhabited by foreigners, forcing several to flee by jumping from windows.
The incident occurred about six months after a wave of xenophobic attacks swept South Africa last year, leaving at least 60 dead and about 100 000 displaced.
Initially only 24-year-old Sean Jacobs stood accused of the Albert Park crime. Now Jacobs and Khoza (42) as well as Nkosinathi Dlamini (24), Delisle Ngwane (54), Linda Nala (32) and Zoleka Siglau (50) face two charges of murder, one of attempted murder and another of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Khoza had already appeared in court on January 28 and was released on R2 000 bail.
He was due to re-appear along with his five co-accused on Monday.
The others were due to make their bail applications.
In his affidavit, Khoza said he would plead not guilty to the charges. He described himself as a ”citizen of good standing”.
The case continues. — Sapa