Update: Foreigners locked up as catastrophic protests hit South Africa again

Residents of Mamelodi, a community in Pretoria, South Africa have been locked up in their homes since last night due to protest against foreign nationals in that country. Shops, houses and businesses belonging to foreign nationals including Somalis, Pakistanis and Nigerians have been burnt and others looted. Some foreigners have sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at various health facilities. A Ghanaian living in Pretoria in an interview with Onua FM’s Yen Nsempa on Friday from South Africa recounted that Attridgeville, a suburb in Pretoria-West, started the protest by looting shops of foreign nationals. The protesters have barricaded the main road connecting the community to other areas. Yaw Amponsah explained that only two police officers came to the scene but they were chased out by the protesters who outnumbered the police officers. He said so far, no Ghanaian has been hurt but several Pakistanis, Somalis and Nigerians have been injured. Yaw Amponsah told Yen Nsempa host, Bright Asempa that, the protestors are of the view that foreigners from these countries are into drugs and other dubious acts. He added that the South African President, Jacob Zuma, this morning told the protesters not to attack the legal immigrants but this did not deter the protestors from going ahead with the protest. Meanwhile, police in Pretoria have fired rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters at the Central Business District (CBD) of Pretoria Friday morning. Foreigner nationals being attacked in the protest fled to Pretoria CBD to receive refuge but the protesters rushed to the place to attack them. “It is a battle between the protesters and foreigners right in CBD. The police are dispersing the crowd with rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray”, a Ghanaian living in Pretoria, Yaw Amponsah told Onua FM News. By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|Onua 95.1FM|3news.com|Ghana]]>