SA probes xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans

Monday, 27 June 2011 01:00

From Thupeyo Muleya in POLOKWANE, South Africa THE South African Limpopo provincial government has set up a team to investigate and deal with issues of xenophobic attacks against Zimbabweans that occurred last week. It also emerged that about 28 Zimbabweans - among them toddlers - have sought refuge at Seshego Police Station, while unconfirmed reports indicate that over 1 000 of them were hiding in the bushes. The attacks, which claimed the life of a Zimbabwean, Godfrey Sibanda who was stoned to death by rowdy youths led by ANC councillor Tebogo Mojapilo, has left many Zimbabweans in Seshego, northwest of Polokwane, living in fear. Houses belonging to Zimbabweans were torched during the skirmishes. Twelve suspects - including the councillor - have since been arrested in connection with the attacks and were granted R600 bail each by the Polokwane Magistrates' Court. They will appear in court on August 16 for trial. The task team, which was created on Monday last week and chaired by Colonel Frank Ngobeni of the South African police services, comprises stakeholders from Red Cross, South African police, Polokwane Disaster Committee, UN Human Rights Commission and Capricorn District Management. Red Cross society's Capricorn district branch co-ordina-tor, Mr Alphens Mabina, said the issue facing the Zimba-bweans needed a multi-sectoral approach adding that they were working towards finding a lasting solution. He said: "With the assistance of the Limpopo provincial government, we have come up with a task team to investigate and work towards finding a solution to the problems facing foreign nationals in this city. "We are actually surprised by such an act. We didn't expect such unruly behaviour considering that we are all Africans and this place is for all who want to live in it. "At the moment we are keeping the affected families at Seshego Police Station where a number of organisations have donated food, clothing and blankets. "The task team is working towards integrating them into the community and so far the UN Refugee centre in Musina has indicated that they are willing to facilitate transportation to either Zimbabwe or Musina refugee centre to those willing. "We hope to arrive at a solution soon and as the Red Cross Society we don't condone such behaviour. You will realise that we are always on constant touch with our volunteers in these affected areas to check on the situation there every day. "It has also emerged that the majority of these victims had their travel documents and other valuables burnt and destroyed during the disturbances and we are willing to assist them to apply for asylum at the Home Affairs department if they so wish" he said. Seshego police spokesman, Warrant Officer Mathomane Molefo, said they had deployed enough manpower to monitor the situation in the area. "The situation has calmed down but we are not taking any chances. We will continue to engage the community and the victims in a bid to ensure that these people live in harmony. "This is an act by overzealous criminals and is short of anything next to xenophobia. We have a number of anti crime awareness campaigns around the town that are in progress and we believe this will go a long way in solving this problem. "Unfortunately, we don't have the requisite shelter to keep these victims here for good and we have agreed as the task team that by 15 July we must have quelled the situation", he said. He said they also had a challenge in repatriating Godfrey Sibanda's body to Zimbabwe as his relatives had no capacity and the Zimbabwe Consulate had indicated they had no budget to that effect. Meanwhile, Limpopo ANC has since denounced that attacks on foreigners, saying they should be condemned. In a statement last Friday, the ANC provincial spokesperson, Mr David Masondo, said: "The ANC notes the arrest of our ward councilor in Seshego, whom it is alleged has been involved in the attacks of Zimbabwean nationals. The ANC upholds the principle of innocent until proven guilty. For this reason, the charged councilor remains innocent until the court of law finds the councillor guilty. We reiterate that no one is above the law and any person, including our ANC members, found violating the law should be punished accordingly. We call on our communities not to the law onto their hands," he said

Eight-tonne contraband intercepted at border post

Wednesday, 06 July 2011 02:00

Beitbridge Bureau Chief THE Police Border Control and Minerals Unit has intercepted eight tonnes of copper cables worth thousands of dollars that were being smuggled into South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post and arrested four suspects in connection with smuggling. The arrest brings to nine the number of people who have been arrested for dealing with copper cables around the border town. Ruth Jambwa (47), Alice Nyamurenye (39) of Kwekwe, Moreblessing Mugota (32) and Douglas Hamauswa both of Harare were arrested at Beitbridge Border Post aboard a Musanhi Investments Crossborder bus at around 9pm on Friday. The quartet is now charged with contravening a section of the Copper Control and the Customs and Excise Act respectively. The police officer commanding crime in Beitbridge district, Superintendent Conrad Manhai confirmed the arrests yesterday adding that investigations were underway. Supt Manhai said the value of the contraband was yet to be ascertained. "We are on high alert to deal with such criminals and we want to warn them that their days are numbered," he said. "On this particular case police detectives got a tip off that there were people intending to smuggle stolen copper cables out of the country through Beitbridge border post. "Acting on the tip off we then teamed up with officers from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and intercepted the bus when it was about to leave Beitbridge border post for South Africa at the exit gate." The bus, Supt Manhai said, was then taken for physical examination by Zimra through scanning. It was then discovered that 8 000kg of copper were in the trailer. The four were then interrogated and that's when it was discovered that they had not declared the copper cables and they also had no authority to deal with the copper. "They were in turn arrested and the bus and the contraband were subsequently seized by Zimra. "We have since charged them with one count of contravening a section of the copper and a section of the customs and excise acts respectively. They will soon appear in court," he said. Supt Manhai raised concern over the increase in cases of smuggling of copper and cigarettes adding that police were out in full force. He added that they had re-arrested notorious copper cables thief, Roswell Pfaira on other charges of copper cables which were stolen along the Bulawayo Beitbridge road recently. Pfaira had just been fined US$4 000 by a Beitbridge magistrate after he was found stealing 900kg of electricity cables worth US$13,500 at the 12,5 km peg along the Beitbridge Masvingo highway.