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Twelve killed in Johannesburg anti-immigrant violence

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-05-19 10:54

Policemen take aim during clashes believed to be linked to recent anti-foreigner violence in Zandsfontein informal settlement outside Johannesburg, May 18, 2008. [Agencies]

Eric Goemaere, coordinator for humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) in Johannesburg, said the violence had intensified on Sunday, with victims describing gangs of youths raiding their homes and looking for foreigners.

"The situation today is even more tense than during the week," he told AFP.

"They (victims) say there are organised gangs of 100 to 300 youths who are breaking into homes, apartments and shacks."

"The violence is quite extreme: one woman was thrown out of a first floor window and fell on a car. There is an intention to kill."

A photographer for South Africa's The Star newspaper said he had witnessed a man being set alight in a slum in the East Rand region, about 50 kilometres east of Johannesburg, where violence spread on Sunday.

"We found a guy wrapped up in his belongings. They'd obviously beaten him, wrapped him up, then set fire to him," Shayne Robinson told AFP, adding that gangs of up 300 youths had been confronting police.

In another incident on Sunday, a church where about 1,000 Zimbabweans were taking refuge was attacked, according to Goemaere, as well as a police station that was providing shelter to foreigners.

The acting secretary general of the South African Red Cross, David Stephens, said the organisation had launched a campaign to help victims of the attacks who have been forced to flee.

"We have made an appeal to the public to assist us to help people who are destitute," he said.

Engelbrecht said about 300 people, mainly immigrants, were sheltering in a police station in the inner-city Cleveland area of Johannesburg.

"A lot of foreign people have been attacked," she added. "Most of the damage has allegedly been done to property belonging to foreigners. A lot of shops have been broken into and several cars have been burnt."

 

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