Police have doused the fires and quelled the panic in Welkom in the Free State after last week’s spate of xenophobic attacks on Bangladeshi nationals.
Alphonse Munyaneza, a senior regional community service officer from the UN Human Rights Council yesterday said the police had increased their visibility in both Thabong township and neighbouring Odendaalsrus where the violence took place.
“The security response in both these areas has improved drastically. All that we are dealing with now are isolated cases of robbery and no longer mob justice. We have also embarked on supporting the municipality which seeks to implement the reintegration of the Bangladeshi businessmen in their respective communities,” said Munyaneza.
A total of 60 shops were looted in 18 of Welkom’s townships, many in Thabong. Five shop owners were injured as community members protested against the lack of jobs.
Munyaneza said the council and police had held workshops aimed at educating people about the rights of refugees, among other things.
During the turmoil, the Gift of the Givers stepped in and donated food, blankets and hygiene products to 250 Bangladeshi and Pakistani shop- keepers who sought refuge from the unrest at a storeroom in the region.
Gift of the Givers spokesperson Emily Thomas said the organisation had donated about a week’s supply of necessities to the shop owners.
“We are back in Johannesburg but will return to Welkom on Tuesday where we will speak to community members and educate them about such incidents,” Thomas said.
She said the xenophobic attacks resulted from poverty and that residents had to understand that poverty was the main enemy, not the foreign nationals.
Gift of the Givers will donate 20 000 food parcels to elderly and young residents in Honey Park on Tuesday. -Saturday Star