By Celani Sikhakhane
- People badly beat foreign nationals in Durban on Tuesday after men attacked a woman during a local mass cleanup protest.
- Police boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said he will meet with protest leaders to discuss the matter and find a way forward.
Many businesses owned by foreign nationals in Durban are closed. Shops that employ immigrants have also shut down.
The closures happened after a two-day protest on Monday and Tuesday this week. Locals called the protest a mass cleanup against illegal immigrants.
Many businesses in different parts of the city closed from Monday.
Things turned violent on Tuesday. People badly beat some foreign nationals in the city. This happened after a group of men attacked a woman. She was a member of the protest. People believed the men who attacked her were foreign nationals living in Durban.
The protest group is called March and March. Their leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, questioned the foreign-owned businesses in the city.
She said most of these businesses are just a coverup for dirty work.
She said: “Look at the vehicles they are driving and then compare them with their businesses that they are doing. This shows you that these people are selling drugs that are killing our young people.”
Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is the police commissioner. He spoke to journalists during a police race in Durban.
Mkhwanazi said people are not allowed to chase foreign nationals without checking their documents.
He said the checking of documents is done by skilled people who are trained to do that.
He said he will arrange a meeting with the leaders of March and March to discuss the matter and find a way forward.
Pictured above: Some businesses have been closed since Monday afternoon during protests against illegal immigrants in Durban.
Image source: Celani Sikhakhane
