Correspondent laments attacks on foreigners after World Cup Special

A Voice of Nigeria senior correspondent in South Africa has lamented the unfortunate spate of attacks on immigrants in South Africa.

Xenophobic violence exploded in South Africa in 2008 and scores of people were killed and more than 100,000 people displaced. On Tuesday police arrested ten persons in connection to recent xenophobic violence in Kya Sands, Johannesburg after 6 foreigners were reportedly injured in fresh xenophobia violence. In an interview with this reporter, Collins Atohengge said 10 African immigrants have died since the end of the FIFA World Cup, confirming the fears of many that attacks on foreigners would resume after the first mundial on African soil. What are the nationalities of immigrants affected in recent xenophobic attacks? Actually it’s not restricted to Zimbabweans, but I will say for now they are the most hit, Somalians have died, at least about six Somalians have died so far, they listed some countries which included Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi and Ghana that they don't want in their midst and its so unfortunate that’s its happening in South Africa, shortly after the World Cup. So these deaths were after the World Cup? Oh yes, ten people have died since, after the world cup in the hands of hoodlums, who according to government, they are hoodlums or miscreants who are perpetrating the xenophobia attacks. Are these attacks spread across South Africa or just restricted to Johannesburg? Its not restricted to Johannesburg, ...it started in Western Cape where a Somalian was shot in his shop and two other Somalians were forced to move away; and the type of thing that is happening here is that once the police goes into some where may be to preserve or ensure the safety of people, before you know it they will move to another place. So they moved to Kya Sands, its a township in the north of Johannesburg and no one knows exactly were they will move to and since they are miscreants they don't care about any thing, so one would be surprised where they going to, that’s the truth. Is it true that South Africans who are angry with corruption and infrastructural problem are venting their anger on immigrants? If you are angry with the government, you don't begin to fight foreigners, and that is misplaced anger to be more precise and if they have any reason to fight their government, then they should fight without endangering the life of innocent foreigners; use Nigeria for example, how would that make the government to be up its responsibility, so that’s not an excuse. Generally there are some people in South Africa who believe that foreigners have come to take over their businesses and among those that are actually saying it are people who doesn't even work. They can't work, you see them from morning till evening they are drunk and then at the slightest provocation they draw out knives and guns, so that really is very painful on a general note. What are the police doing in this regard? In the very case of Kya Sands, for instance, the police had to use rubber bullets and they employed the use of helicopter and started driving people from the streets who were involved. Foreigners in Kya Sands, were beginning to pack their wares. If you go the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe, you will see truck load of Zimbabweans who are leaving. Implication Not quite a week ago, so many locals in Western Cape was lamenting the departure of foreigners because they are now forced to go to super markets, they are now forced to go long distances to go and buy things and they buy it at a much more expensive rate. So sometimes you begin to imagine of what benefit is it. You find a Nigerian for example that is here in Johannesburg has business employing thirty South Africans...the business will close and they will become much more unemployed. The South African youth and liberation history The unfortunate thing is that the average South African youth does not know the history of the liberation in his country which African nations contributed...I had to tell somebody for instance that for 15years, I was contributing a percentage of my salary for the liberation of South Africa. Voice of Nigeria was a member of the National Action Committee against Apartheid and I produced three programmes: Freedom Our Goal, South Africa for Us and Letter to My Brother in Kiswahili to fight the Apartheid regime. Now if they are not aware of what material and financial and diplomatic effort that Nigeria had put into the liberation of South Africa from Apartheid, not only Nigeria, Ghana...why won't they stand up to fight Nigerians.