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Johannesburg – Xenophobic attacks erupted in Benoni on the East Rand yesterday, Eyewitness News (EWN) reported. According to EWN, police fired rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse a crowd throwing bottles and stones at journalists and police in Actonville, just outside the CBD.

Locals were also threatening truck drivers and demanding that foreigners leave the area.

On Wednesday, a text message from Actonville councillor Haseenabanu Ismail began doing the rounds.

“Avoid driving in or around hostel & informal (squatter) settlements in Actonville. Area is very volatile now. Please call contacts who normally use these roads,” the text message read.

Another text message was sent to residents on a community alert WhatsApp group yesterday.

“Please be very vigilant and alert especially Actonville area near hostel and dunswart bridge. Small groups gathering with weapons in their hands. Not sure of their intentions. But as previous msgs was sent out, a possible situation is arising,” the message read.

Ismail said that she had been in communication with the city’s station commander. He had told her that police had things under control.

Most of the shops in the area were closed yesterday and shop owners had closed early on Wednesday for their own safety.

Despite reports of rubber bullets being fired, Lieutenant Nomsa Sekele denied having any knowledge of the unrest. “Our cluster commander just informed me that there is nothing happening there and I’ve been told to inform the media of this,” she said.

Meanwhile, police yesterday confirmed that they had fired rubber bullets at Wattville hostel dwellers outside Actonville in Benoni.

The group was attempting to break into and loot shops, said Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini.

They were also preventing vehicles from passing through the area.

“The situation is under control at the moment and there is heavy police presence. No break-ins or injuries have been reported so far in the area,” Dlamini said.

Wattville resident, Mbali Vilakazi, said the unrest at the nearby hostel had caused several disruptions around the township.

“There are no taxis operating in the area and it seems like police are trying to prevent the people from the hostel from crossing into the township,” he said.

Dlamini condemned the violence.

“The act of this violent group is regarded as a criminal act with the intention to rob and steal from the shops and it will not be tolerated,” he said.

Reports from Eyewitness News had labelled the unrest as xenophobic attacks. EWN reported that locals were also threatening truck drivers and demanding that foreigners leave the area.

l Boko Haram has released a tape stating that they are giving South African government 24 hours within which to make the xenophobic attacks come to an end, Face of Malawi reported.

If South African government does not contain the situation they will execute all South Africans living in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and other surrounding countries, even the South African Embassies in the African countries.

In a brief YouTube video message, the murderous terrorist sect responsible for about 13,000 deaths in Nigeria since 2009, threatened to export its terror to South Africa. It also threatened to attack South African embassies in the countries. It has not yet been ascertained if the message is genuine or not. – Sapa