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Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
FORMER Miss Zimbabwe Oslie Muringai-Matsikenyeri spent the greater of part of Wednesday at a displacement camp in Johannesburg, South Africa assisting Zimbabwean and foreign refugees whose homes had been destroyed as a result of the ongoing xenophobic attacks there. After learning of the refugee camp at the Methodist Church in Primrose Hill, the former beauty queen, who relocated to South Africa last year with her family, said she was compelled to lend a helping hand and volunteered to cook and feed fellow Africans.

According to media reports, seven people have been killed after the outbreak of xenophobic violence in Durban and Johannesburg over the past two weeks. Over 3,000 foreigners from Zimbabwe, Burundi, Malawi and Mozambique have been displaced because of the attacks.

Muringai-Matsikenyeri, who is married to cricketer, Stuart Matsikenyeri said as a mother, she felt inclined to assist those who had been displaced.

“I spent most of Wednesday volunteering at the camp set up at Methodist Primrose Hill for xenophobia refugees. I was saddened to see fellow Zimbabweans and fellow Africans in such a place,” said the soft-spoken beauty.

She said she was close to tears upon seeing the number of children who had been affected by the xenophobic attacks.

“It was distressing to see about 300 children running around in the refugee camp that’s about 100 metres by 70. My friend and I were close to tears upon seeing the children at the camp.”

She said the campsite, which was fenced and heavily guarded by police protecting the refugees from more attacks, had mobile toilets and tents for shelter for inhabitants.

“One can’t just enter the camp; you have to be vetted by the police at the heavily guarded premises. When we arrived, we could hear people speaking in Ndebele and Shona and it hit me that these were Zimbabweans.

“Most of the people who lived in nearby squatter camps had their homes burnt down and have nothing to go back home for,” said Muringai-Matsikenyeri.

“There were so many arrivals at the camp the day we were there. It was like people were getting displaced by the hour. Some were from surrounding squatter camps while others were from as far as Alexandra.”

The mother of two said the level of support from churches and individuals was overwhelming for the refugees as they supplied them with food, blankets and clothing.

“What was encouraging though during my visit there was that the camp was overwhelmed with donations of food, blankets and clothing. It was so much that others who came with donations were turned away,” said Muringai-Matsikenyeri.