A crowd of displaced foreign nationals has heckled South African President Jacob Zuma during his visit to a makeshift shelter, as he tried to address mounting pressure to end the deadly anti-immigration attacks in the country.
In a meeting on Saturday with some 1,400 foreigners waiting for repatriation, Zuma said, “We will deploy police in every area to ensure safety.”
The crowd, however, did not take warmly to that promise and chanted, “No!” in response.
Earlier on Saturday, Zuma cancelled his trip to Indonesia to attend the Afro-Asia Summit to deal with the violence at home.
In his speech to the displaced foreigners, he said the South African government was not chasing them away.
“We are not saying to you, ‘Go away!’” he said.
He added that his government was committed to the safety of those foreign nationals, who choose to remain in South Africa.
Zuma also handed over a cheque of about $4,100 from a local business for the upkeep of the camp. But the gesture was also met with boos from the crowd.
Even after Zuma left, local media reported that the displaced foreigners continued to protest against his visit, chanting, “Go home!”
More than 30 people have been arrested in the last 24 hours, while violence spreads to other districts of South Africa’s financial capital, Johannesburg.
Scenes of looted stores greeted Johannesburg residents on Saturday as police assist foreign nationals to safety in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, following a second day of violence.
Overnight, looting and road blockages by anti-immigrant protesters were reported in Alexandra, Malvern, Thokoza, and Cleveland.
On Saturday, a Mozambique national, identified as Emmanuel Sithole, died of his injuries after he was attacked by men during anti-immigrant violence in Alexandra. The attack was captured by a Reuters photographer.
Lt. Col. Lungelo Dlamini, Gauteng police spokesperson, told Al Jazeera, “We believe these are pure criminal acts. People are taking advantage of the situation and then they are robbing small business.”
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