…Nigerians, Pakistanis, Mexicans Affected
….. Police use rubber bullets , Teargas To Restore Order
Tensions erupted in Durban on Wednesday as South African police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding tougher action against foreigners, including Nigerians, amid fears of job losses and rising crime.
The demonstration, organised by the xenophobic vigilante group Operation Dudula in collaboration with the March and March Movement, saw crowds march through the city streets, waving placards and chanting anti-immigrant slogans.
Protesters singled out Nigerians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Mexicans, and other foreign nationals, accusing them of taking jobs from locals and fueling crime.
Herman Mashaba, leader of the ActionSA party, addressed the crowd, saying, “People can call us names, but we cannot allow a situation where our country is being destroyed before our very eyes. This is unacceptable, and we demand action from our government.”
Some shop owners closed their businesses ahead of the march, fearing looting. Police intervened after a small group reportedly harassed bystanders and looted shops.
Eighty-one-year-old Thembi Dlamini from Clermont, west of Durban, lamented, “Jobs are being taken away by our brothers from other parts of Africa who are here illegally. Where will our children get jobs?”
The protest underscores growing frustration over South Africa’s high unemployment rate, currently at nearly 32 per cent. Official figures show that foreigners constitute roughly 5.1 per cent of the population, totaling about three million people.
Political parties including the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), ActionSA, and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) joined protesters in chanting slogans and singing campaign songs, highlighting the widespread political dimension of the unrest.
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