Ahead of the planned anti-foreigner march expected to take place today Friday Feb. 24th, in South Africa, the Nigerian High Commission has advised its citizens to close down their businesses.
More
than 1,000 Memelodi residents are expected to march through the CBD to
the Home Affairs head office in a demonstration against foreigners.
The
march follows attacks on foreign nationals in Pretoria West and other
townships in the capital. For several weeks pamphlets have been
circulated by these Mamelodi residents pointing out social ills and high
unemployment rates that they attribute to illegal immigrants.
Makgoka
Leganyane, spokesman for the Mamelodi Concerned Residents organisation,
said they were protesting against drugs and prostitution. Earlier this
week shops owned by mainly Somali and Pakistani nationals were looted in
Atteridgeville, while houses and shops belonging to Nigerian nationals
were set alight.
Meanwhile, The Institute for Justice and
Reconciliation (IJR) has condemned the planned march and called upon
authorities to remain vigilant, in order to prevent a repeat of
xenophobic violence.
The institute further said the government should take the necessary steps to protect foreign nationals.
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