Foreigner allegedly beaten to death, others assaulted in PMB informal settlement

Dozens of foreigners fled their homes on Friday after the alleged stoning to death of a Malawian man at the Jika Joe informal settlement.

The incident followed a huge protest in the Pietermaritzburg city centre by anti-immigrant civic body March and March as part of their campaign to drive out illegal foreigners from the country.

Residents claimed the man who lived in the settlement with his family was allegedly stoned to death by a group armed with sticks.

It has been reported the mob was fuelled by the address of a local who claimed her brother was killed by Malawians earlier in the week.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said police are investigating a case of murder after the death of a 29-year-old foreigner at the settlement on Friday afternoon.

“Information available at this stage suggests that the deceased was allegedly attacked by a group of people at Sable Flats Manor but managed to escape and ran towards the Jika Joe informal settlement. Reports indicate that the deceased slipped into the river. He was found on the riverbed with a cut on the head and injuries on the mouth. He was declared dead at the scene.”

The circumstances that led to the attack and the subsequent death are under investigation.

Netshiunda said the area is stable with police monitoring the situation.

However, area ward councillor Suraya Reddy said the area was still volatile on Saturday as the foreigners had to flee their homes in fear of their lives.

“Many of them were attacked and were running, without shoes or their possessions, and came under attack. Some of them were injured, and we arranged temporary shelter for them. They are mainly Malawian, and we had to engage private medical care because they were refused treatment at government facilities.

“A network of NGOs are arranging a bus to have them transported to Durban, where we hope they can join other Malawians who were also chased away from their homes. It’s heartbreaking to see this unfolding here. It’s a human rights abuse and we cannot sit back and watch people attack other human beings for whatever reason.”

“It was a terrible sight seeing people running in terror. Even the children were traumatised,” said one resident who asked not to be named.

It is further alleged that the dead man’s brother was also injured during the incident.

Msunduzi municipality mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla condemned the incident.

He described it as a crisis, saying human rights were being violated.

“Human lives are now at risk, whether foreign nationals or South Africans. We cannot allow people to come into communities and take a life,” he said.

• Additional reporting by Mlungisi Mhlophe-Gumede

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