Foreigners chased out of Limpopo village
Foreign nationals in a Limpopo village are living in fear after they were attacked and then expelled during a rampage.
|||Polokwane - Foreign nationals in a Limpopo village are living in fear after they were attacked and then expelled during a three-day rampage by locals this week.
Villagers in Makurung, south of Polokwane, attacked foreigners over the course of several days before eventually ordering that all foreign nationals had to leave the village.
Many of the foreign nationals, including a number of traders, were forced to move to neighbouring villages for safety as locals ransacked their homes and businesses.
Locals accused them of stealing their belongings.
A shop owner was assaulted and had his goods looted from his tuck shop on Monday evening. Adionwo Tadawse, an Ethiopian had closed his shop and was sleeping when he was woken up by a group of locals who allegedly assaulted him and stole his stock.
He said he was shocked and surprised by the attacks as he never thought such attacks could be directed against himself and other foreign nationals.
A Zimbabwean pensioner who is married to a local woman and had been living in the village for years was also targeted and warned to leave the village. He resisted until a mob broke his doors and windows.
Police said the man left the area unhurt.
Warrant Officer Manong Tshehla confirmed that shops were looted and foreigners were pushed out of the village.
Tshehla said the attacks started on Sunday and continued until a community meeting on Tuesday resolved that all foreigners should leave the village.
“After the meeting, the villagers moved from house to house occupied by foreigners, warning and telling foreigners to pack and go.
“They did go but only one old man refused to go and said he does not have a place to go because he is a married and been living there.”
“He was threatened again and left but his house was vandalised. However, his wife and children were not hurt.
“They also went to an RDP house occupied by Zimbabweans, broke doors, scattered clothes outside and set them alight,” he added.
Police said the villagers turned against business operated by foreigners as well as local enterprises, warning them not to employ foreign nationals.
Tshehla said after shops belonging to foreigners were looted, a group also moved to a brick-making company and warned the owner not to employ Zimbabweans.
Police said peace has been restored to the area, but that no arrests had yet been made.
ANA
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