Panic as citizens, foreigners embarked on rival marches in South Africa

South African police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse rival marches by hundreds of citizens and non-nationals in the capital on Friday, following looting this week of stores believed to belong to immigrants, including Nigerians.

Reports monitored in Lagos said protesters had gathered at various flash points in Pretoria and Johannesburg chanting songs for or against immigrants with tension around the areas where the previous violence were cited.

Anti-immigrant violence has been spiraling in South Africa against a background of near-record unemployment, with foreigners being accused of taking jobs from citizens and involvement in crime.

Armed police reportedly formed a barrier between citizens and non-nationals marching in Pretoria, but the crowd became unruly with both sides shouting at one another prompting police to disperse the angry mobs.

Many shops were shuttered in Marabastad, an area situated in the west of the capital, where many foreign nationals have their stores, while roads were blocked as the marchers gathered.

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“We are ready for any eventuality: enough is enough,”a 30 year-old immigrant was quoted as shouting with rocks and sticks, with which to protect his shop in Pretoria.

The marches were said to have followed the looting of at least 20 small businesses believed to belong to Nigerian and Pakistani immigrants in west Pretoria.

Residents said they had attacked the shops because they were dens of prostitution and drug dealing.

But President Jacob Zuma condemned the acts of violence between citizens and non-nationals, his office said on Friday.

On the allegation that most immigrants were targeted because of being tagged drug dealers or human traffickers, Zuma said in a statement that it was misinformation.

It wiil be recalled that in apparent retaliation, Nigerian protesters vandalised the head office of South African mobile phone giant MTN in Abuja.

Nigeria and South Africa, the continent’s two largest economies and pre-eminent diplomatic and military powers, have a volatile relationship.

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