Fears Of Xenophobia Resurface As South Africans Clash With Foreigners In Alex
This is not a pretty sight: On Monday, the Gauteng township of Alexandra became a temporary battleground, with South African citizens engaging in violent clashes with a group of foreigners. Some locals are concerned that the xenophobia that gripped this part of the country three years ago is returning with a vengeance.
The tension in Alex today has been palpable, and it’s been reported that Operation Dudula supporters were involved in the scuffles. The group is vehemently opposed to illegal immigration and claims to be fighting for South Africans to be prioritized in the labour market. However, things took a turn for the worse this morning.
Watch clips of what transpired:
@EFFSouthAfrica @GautengANC Foreigners fighting and beating up the Dudula Movement at Pan in Alexandra. They say they are going nowhere and no one will tell them anything 😔 pic.twitter.com/eA0D78pUgY
— Lez (@Lez_worldwide) March 7, 2022
One of the street vendors in a scuffle with #OperationDudula supporters as they march through towards the Alexandra magistrate court. pic.twitter.com/HJffWXAHoW
— Siviwe Feketha (@SiviweFeketha) March 7, 2022
Plans to evict foreigners from their Pan Africa Mall businesses did not go as planned. Many of the targeted foreigners resisted, and police were initially unable to quell much of the commotion.
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The majority of street vendors caught up in the violence are accused of working illegally in South Africa. As a result of the ongoing battles, several businesses have been forced to close. Whereas Operation Dudula operatives claim they are attempting to “put South Africans first,” critics claim that these grievances are purely xenophobic.
Unfortunately, statements like these do little to prevent the situation from escalating further. At least seven people have been injured.
