afrol News, 19 May - At least 12 immigrants were killed during the past weekend in the mayhem that has engulfed the major South African city of Johannesburg, in which rioting South Africans assailed foreigners, mainly from the neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Police report that the dead were either shot, stabbed or burned alive by the raving locals. It has however not yet been established what the source of the attack was.

Scores of horrified foreigners were forced to flee their makeshift homes to seek refuge in nearby police stations and churches. Police who came in to harness the situation fired rubber bullets and arrested some of the rioters to suppress the bloodshed throughout the city.

The violence continued through Monday. Armed residents from major locations around Johannesburg were seen patrolling the streets, apparently to forestall the fleeing immigrants from returning to their vacated homes.

This terrifying onslaught against foreigners began about week ago in the township of Alexandra before it extended to neighbouring settlements such Thokoza, Cleveland, Hilbrow, Thembisa and others.

As the terror mounted, police rushed in to the scenes, in great numbers to quell the fighting before it got completely out of hand. Police told reporters that they would use all available resources to ensure that this adverse situation did not spread to other parts of the city and the entire country.

Political leaders strongly condemned the acts, labelling the attacks a national shame. They stoutly reminded the rioters of the homely refuge some of their countrymen received in the neighbouring states, during the apartheid era. The South African President Thabo Mbeki has promised to set up a panel of expert investigators to establish the cause of the violence.

For his part, the newly elected President of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) Jacob Zuma had this to say about the situation, "we should be the last people to be having a negative attitude towards our brothers and sisters who come from outside."

Tony Leon, former leader and current spokes man of the leading opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA), in a media statement blamed the ANC government for the attacks on immigrants. It was a "direct result of government's failure to properly control and regulate immigration into South Africa;" Mr Leon said. "It was only a matter of time before resentment over the flood of millions of illegal immigrants would spill over into violent confrontation," he added.

It goes without saying that this move was a terrible and embarrassing blow to most South African political leaders who were once refugees in countries such as Zimbabwe.

These foreigners who are currently under siege were drawn to South Africa by its blooming economy and profuse employment opportunities. However, most of them, especially the Zimbabweans, entered the country illegally to escape the unpleasant political and economical situation rampant in their country.

With its population of 43.99 million people, South Africa has an unemployment rate of 23 percent and has one of the highest crime rates in the world.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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