As the South African government send in the troops to guard an alleged xenophobia hotspot north of Johannesburg, the SA Human Rights Commission on Wednesday said it is difficult to determine the exact cause of xenophobic violence in the country.
The commission presented a report in Parliament on its investigation into the 2008 violence during which 60 people were killed and thousands were displaced.
Jobs and Houses likely cause
Human Rights Commission chairperson Lawrence Mushwana told the South African parliament today it does not seem to be any one cause of xenophobia but did point out that unrest occurred almost exclusively in urban area which strongly points to competition for jobs and housing being a cause.
The Justice Portfolio Committee’s Ngoako Ramatlhodi said the struggle for limited resources is just one cause.
Authorities “completely unprepared”
The HRC’s report said authorities were completely unprepared two years ago and the ...
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As the South African government send in the troops to guard an alleged xenophobia hotspot north of Johannesburg, the SA Human Rights Commission on Wednesday said it is difficult to determine the exact cause of xenophobic violence in the country.
The commission presented a report in Parliament on its investigation into the 2008 violence during which 60 people were killed and thousands were displaced.
Jobs and Houses likely cause
Human Rights Commission chairperson Lawrence Mushwana told the South African parliament today it does not seem to be any one cause of xenophobia but did point out that unrest occurred almost exclusively in urban area which strongly points to competition for jobs and housing being a cause.
The Justice Portfolio Committee’s Ngoako Ramatlhodi said the struggle for limited resources is just one cause.
Authorities “completely unprepared”
The HRC’s report said authorities were completely unprepared two years ago and the situation has not improved much.
No new incidents in Johannesburg
No new incidents of xenophobia were reported last night but 16 violent incidents were reported on Tuesday in which five South Africans, four Zimbabweans and two people from Mozambique were killed.
The army was deployed to Kya Sands by late Tuesday evening. Earlier in the day Gauteng Community Safety MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu had denied they were needed.
"We have assessed the situation thoroughly and the police are able to handle it well. There is no need for the army to be deployed," Mosunkutu told The Times on Tuesday afternoon.
The South African police said on Wednesday the army was called in to assist them in carrying out an anti-crime operation in Kya Sands.
Somali man killed in faction fights
Meanwhile a Somali man was murdered and shops were looted in the Kuyga informal settlement near Port Elizabeth but the South African Police insisted that this was the cause of rival Somali groups clashing.
Ibraham Ali Hasson, 37, was shot dead in his shop around 10pm on Monday, police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg told The Times.
"It is alleged that the deceased received threats that if he opened his shop something will happen to him. The threats were allegedly from another Somalian fraternity."
Cape Town quiet
No new incidents of alleged xenophobic violence were reported in Cape Town on Wednesday.
New law on the way
The South African Department of Justice however said they were in the process of preparing a bill that will make South African law tougher on hate crimes including xenophobic attacks.
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