A number of Zimbabweans who had been living and working in
Tshino village, Thohoyandou, Vuwani, have moved to other areas of Limpopo or
returned to Zimbabwe after xenophobic violence erupted last month.
Police spokesperson in Limpopo Col Moatshe Ngoepe said
about eight houses belonging to immigrants had been torched on the night of
March 17. Two suspects were arrested and are to appear in court on April 25 on
charges of public violence, malicious damage to property and arson.
Some Zimbabweans were accommodated by their employers on
farms in Levubu several kilometres away.
"I miss my fellow Zimbabweans. We used to stay as a
family but we are now scattered in Limpopo," said Tevera Mucheka. He lost
his bakkie and the house he has rented for over 10 years. He has now moved to
Duthuni, 20km from Tshino village.
"I lost my Zimbabwean passport, driver's licence and
customers who usually brought cars for repairs," said Mucheka, who is a
mechanic. "I have to start all over again … My previous
employers donated clothes and food," he said.
He did not know why
his home was torched, but said the crowd had shouted that "they no longer
want Zimbabweans around".
"Since 2008, foreigners have been subjected to such
attacks and we do not notice any meaningful intervention from the
government," he said.
Spokesperson for the Limpopo premier Kenny Mathivha said:
"Compared to other provinces, Limpopo has had less such attacks because of
its integrated communities. For example, you can't have such in Musina because
SA citizens in Musina have relatives in Zimbabwe and speak the same languages.
In Giyani and Phalaborwa, it's difficult to distinguish a Tsonga-speaking
person from a South African or Mozambican; same with Lephalale – the Limpopo
people in that area speak Setswana."
He said the department of community safety had been dealing
with the attacks and liaising with the district municipality.
Vhembe district mayor Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya said
immigrants should register any business operations with the council so there would
be no question about them since they'd be ratepayers. GroundUp.
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