Anti-immigrant violence explodes in Western Cape

Lado Amido holds up his Mozambique passport. He spent two nights in the mountains behind Kleinmond, fleeing the threat of violence. Amido is one of more than 50 immigrants being sheltered in the Kleinmond community hall. He says he wants to return to Mozambique. Photos: Ashraf Hendricks

• Hundreds of people fled their homes in Kleinmond and Gansbaai in the Overberg as anti-immigration protests spread in the Western Cape.
• Immigrants affected by the protests, mostly from Malawi and Mozambique, have taken refuge in community halls.
• Some hid in the mountains or on the beach overnight.
• Hundreds of people took part in anti-immigrant marches in Kleinmond and Gansbaai.
• “We cannot accommodate someone, and then we don’t eat,” said one of the march organisers.

Immigrants in the Overberg fled to the beaches and the mountains over the weekend as protests against immigrants gathered momentum. In Mossel Bay, the deaths of several Mozambican nationals were reported, and dozens of homes were burned. Dozens of families were displaced.

The Mozambican government said five citizens had died in “xenophobic attacks” involving 800 Mozambicans in Mossel Bay at the weekend. About 300 had decided to return home.

In Kleinmond, hundreds of people staged a march on Sunday morning, demanding that foreigners leave the area. In Gansbaai, more than 200 people fled their homes after a protest on Monday morning.

This is the latest in a wave of anti-immigrant protests across the country, led or inspired by March and March.

Kleinmond

More than 50 immigrants moved to the Kleinmond community hall out of fear for their safety.

At 7am on Sunday morning, according to police spokesperson Captain F.C Van Wyk, about 500 people gathered to protest. They marched from the taxi rank to Overhills informal settlement, calling on immigrants to leave.

Many had already fled their homes on Saturday, following a meeting between the march organisers and SAPS on Friday evening.

When GroundUp arrived at about 2pm on Monday, about 50 people were being sheltered in the community hall. Disaster management officials were assisting them. Many had been forced to leave their belongings behind.

Lado Amido, a Mozambican, said he had spent Friday night and Saturday night on the mountain behind the town.

Grant Cohen, Ward Councillor for Kleinmond in the Overstrand Municipality, said he had heard that some women and children were still hiding in the dunes near the beach. People had left their houses in fear, he said.

“We’re trying to make our space available for them as a safe place.”

Cohen said most of the group in the hall had said they wanted to return to their home country.

Councillor Grant Cohen searches through the dunes on Kleinmond main beach for immigrants that might be hiding from threats.

“On Saturday evening, foreigners started packing their things and going to the bush,” said a Malawian man, who was sitting at the beach. The man, who did not want to give his name, said the intimidation had started on Saturday. “They started going door to door. If they found someone, they threatened to beat him or do something terrible,” he said.

“We came from our countries because there’s poverty. We thought we could search for greener pastures here, but nothing is working,” he said.

Van Wyk said two people had been arrested for expired documentation and were due to appear in the Caledon Magistrates’ court on Tuesday.

“No damages or violence occurred,” he said.

Gansbaai

Families were being accommodated in the Gansbaai Tourism and Conference Centre.

More than 200 immigrants, including women and children, have taken refuge in the Gansbaai Tourism and Conference Centre following an anti-immigrant march on Monday morning.

Many had suitcases with them when GroundUp arrived at 4pm.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said 1,500 people from Masakhane informal settlement in Gansbaai had marched and handed over a memorandum to the Overberg District Commissioner. He said three people had been arrested under the Immigration Act, and three others for the possession of dangerous weapons. No serious crime or damage to property was reported, he said.

Msa Nomatiti, a PR councillor for the DA, who was at the hall, said the protesters wanted both undocumented and documented immigrants to leave.

“At 6am, they started raiding the community, kicking doors,” he said.

Nomatiti said he called disaster management to assist.

Overstrand Municipal Manager Dr Dean O’Neill said donations for those affected could be dropped off at any of the Overstrand Fire Stations in Kleinmond, Pringle Bay, Hermanus and Gansbaai.

A Mozambican man, who introduced himself only as Joseph, said he was particularly worried about the children. “I don’t know what is going to happen,” he said.

At 5pm on Monday, we found a large group of protesters still gathered at the entrance to the Masakhane informal settlement. There was a heavy police presence.

A large group of protesters gathered at the entrance to Masakhane township in Gansbaai.

Protest leader Sabelo Jonase said protesters wanted all immigrants out of the country as they were getting all the jobs.

Sabelo Jonase, an organiser of the march, said they were not affiliated to any organisation. He said the main issue in the community was unemployment.

He claimed that companies preferred to hire immigrants instead of locals.

“We cannot accommodate someone and then we don’t eat. It doesn’t make sense,” Jonase said.

“We just want everyone who is not from South Africa to be out.”

On Tuesday morning, Nomatiti said about 150 people were being moved from Gansbaai to Stanford Community Hall. Those that remained were mainly Mozambicans waiting for buses home, he said.

Protesters dragged a man to the police to be arrested. It is unclear why he was being brought to the police. People cheered as he was detained and removed by police.

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