South Africa: Stick-Wielding Vigilantes Harass Asylum Seekers
[GroundUp] Immigrants queuing at Home Affairs in Durban targeted by xenophobic group
On Tuesday, vigilantes in Durban targeted asylum seekers at a Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre with sticks and insults. About 15 individuals, some wearing masks, entered the facility around 12:30pm, shoving people in line and demanding they leave. Police officers intervened, but tensions remained high when Xolani Zuma, the husband of one of the vigilantes, arrived and criticized the Home Affairs Department for assisting refugees.
Despite the protest, only 20 of the hundreds who waited since early morning were processed by day's end. Many had been locked out of the system during the COVID-19 lockdown, and some faced challenges securing income while waiting.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
