Kenyans targeted, their shops looted in South Africa xenophobic attacks

By , K24 Digital
On Wed, 4 Sep, 2019 18:45 | < 1 min read
South Africa looting
Police fired tear gas to try and disperse the looters. PHOTO | BBC
Police fired tear gas to try and disperse the looters. PHOTO | BBC

Two Kenyans are among several victims of the fresh wave of xenophobic attacks targeting African immigrants in South Africa.

This was revealed by Kenya's Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma on Wednesday in a twitter thread.

"Reports in hand indicate two Kenyans were affected and their property destroyed," said Ambassador Juma.

CS Juma said Kenya's High Commissioner in South Africa is in close contact with President Cyril Ramaphosa's government to ensure the safety of Kenyans and protection of their property.

"We welcome the strong condemnation of these attacks by the government of South Africa and hope that the ethos and values of pan-africanism will will prevail over narrow nationalisms, and be the bonds that glue us together, as African brothers and sisters," said Ms Juma on Twitter.

The fresh wave of violence on African immigrants and their property broke out on Monday, with mobs looting shops and burning down trucks driven by foreigners in parts of South Africa.

So far, South African police have arrested 189 people and were forced to fire tear gar, rubber bullets and grenades to stop looters.

According to the police, five people have been killed.

The violence has rocked Pretoria and Gauteng Province in Johannesburg as well as other cities.

On Wednesday, Zambia football association was forced to cancel a planned football match with Bafana Bafana and caution its nationals who work in South Africa to take measures to protect themselves from attackers.