Xenophobia reared its head in Magau village in the Sinthumule area when a group of residents allegedly attacked Zimbabwean citizens, accusing them of being responsible for crime in the village. The foreigners were told to leave the area on 25 February.
"We gave all the Zimbabweans just a week to vacate Magau village because they are giving us problems," said a community member who wanted to remain anonymous. "We don't care whether they have married SA women or not; we are raiding them day and night. We have declared that after 10 o'clock at night, we don't want to see people walking in the streets," he said.
One of the Zimbabwean citizens, Mr Dallas Muzikwe, said he was surprised by the sudden turn of events in the village. "We have been living in peace in this area, but just see what is happening now; we are treated like thugs," he said. Muzikwe explained that he had been staying in the area for a long time. "We have always treated each other like brothers and sisters," he said.
Vhamusanda Vho Ndwakhulu Sinthumule of Magau said that people participating in xenophobic attacks must stop immediately. "The recent wave of violence against foreign nationals that erupted in the area left the area in chaos, and such events should be condemned," he said.
He added that the attacks went against the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution, emphasising that many foreign nationals were living in South Africa legally and that these people made meaningful contributions to the country's economy. "In instances where foreign nationals are in the country illegally or are involved in criminal activities, we call on all citizens to provide this information to the police," he said.