afrol News, 15 August - South Africa has extended deadline until Monday for closure of six camps for thousands of foreigners displaced by xenophobic violence in May.

Gauteng provincial government had given Friday as deadline for shelters to be closed, but Wits Law Clinic and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa had made an application to Constitutional Court on Wednesday to stop provincial government from closing shelters ahead of today’s deadline.

Thousands of foreign nationals were forced to leave their homes after violent attacks which broke initially in Alexander and then spread around the country. Government, as a temporary measure, set up shelters to house those foreigners who had been displaced.

Gauteng government has assured xenophobia refugees that it is safe for foreigners to return to their homes.

"They have to leave the shelter because we actually invited them at a time of need. We think enough has been done to do that," Thabo Masebe said.

"We are also convinced that conditions exist in all the communities in Gauteng for the displaced people to safely return to their places. So, we don't expect anybody to refuse to leave,” he added.

Earlier this week, a high court judge rejected human rights groups' submission which argued the closure would violate the rights of the displaced.

Many of those targeted returned to their home countries after violence in May, while others returned to South African townships but more than 2,000 of them are still in secure camps in Gauteng.

Speaking to BuaNews today, Professor Jonathan Klaaren of Wits School of Law Clinic said they had on Tuesday applied to the Pretoria High Court to stop the provincial government from dismantling the six temporary shelters but this was dismissed.

"We understand shelters cannot be kept open permanently, but there should be a delay in dismantling them. Our argument is that we want this process to be lawful and to be conducted orderly,” he said.

The Gauteng government has spent about R100 million to keep the shelters afloat since. Camps were set up in May after 60 people were killed and thousands displaced by anti-immigrant riots.

Last week, the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres criticised South African authorities for not communicating any places for reintegration of displaced and not properly engaging in a dialogue with camp residents about their immediate future.

There are about 2 500 displaced people from other countries in all the six temporary shelters in the province. About 15 000 people have returned to their homes voluntarily and some returned to their country of birth, since the shelters were set up.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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