Zimpapers Logo

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
NO Zimbabweans have been caught in the wave of xenophobic attacks which broke out in South Africa last week, Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo said.He said Zimbabweans need not to panic as they were safe from xenophobic attacks in Gauteng province.

In a telephone interview on Thursday, Ambassador Moyo said they had been assured by the South African government that contingency measures had been put in place to ensure the safety of all foreigners.

“We’ve checked in Gauteng province, Cape Town, Pretoria and several police stations to establish whether there were any Zimbabweans who were affected during the disturbances. We’ve not heard of any incidents involving our people,” said Ambassador Moyo.

“Further, the South African government has assured us that they’ve put in place contingency measures to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.”

He said the South African police had also activated community forums across the country which help in detecting all planned attacks so that they can intervene early.

“We’ve no reason to doubt that strategy and we’re hopeful that they’ll be able to protect our people” he said.

The ambassador called on Zimbabweans in South Africa to be conscious and alive to the activities and realities in the respective places they live in as well as take necessary measures to avoid danger.

South Africans started attacking and looting foreign owned shops in Soweto last week following the shooting of a 14-year-old boy by a Somali shopkeeper in Snake Park when a mob tried to rob his shop.

At least five people, including a baby, were killed during the looting of foreign-owned shops.

Somalis and Pakistani businesses were among the most targeted foreign-owned shops in townships around Johannesburg.

The incident has sparked fears of a repeat of the attacks which occurred in 2008 where 62 foreign nationals were killed while 50,000 others were displaced.

Last year, five shops, two houses and two vehicles belonging to Zimbabweans were burnt by a mob in Marapong suburb in the mining town of Liphalale by a South African mob who accused them of taking away all business and job opportunities.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Moyo warned Zimbabweans against being duped by criminals claiming to be processing work permits.

“I’d also want to warn Zimbabweans in this country to be wary of such people who’re circulating messages that the South African government has extended the processing of the Zimbabwe Special Permits by  a month.

“We’re reliably informed that there’re those charging R3,000 to process such permits. People should not fall to the whims of fraudsters,” he said.

“The official position is that the South African government has not extended the processing of such permits. It’s worrying to see people losing their hard earned money to such scams,” he said.