Families are sheltering in community centres as anti foreigner violence spreads in the Western Cape, with few prosecutions reported nationwide.
Scores of poor Malawians and Mozambicans, including families, have fled their precarious lives in townships and are seeking shelter and food at community run centres. The situation is especially bad in the Western Cape, though many other areas are also affected.
The Malawi government has announced plans to repatriate its citizens who are under threat in South Africa, following a similar move by Ghana last week.
Critics say the violence harms South Africa’s image, portraying the country as violent and xenophobic with breaking law and order, especially because perpetrators of anti foreigner attacks are seldom prosecuted.
The article argues that the African National Congress allowed porous borders and weak law enforcement for decades, sending a message that South Africa was the promised land for those seeking a better life.