South African police on Wednesday, March 25, fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the coastal city of Durban over unemployment and competition for jobs.
The protesters, including members of political parties and the xenophobic vigilante group Operation Dudula, marched through the streets waving placards and chanting against undocumented immigrants.
They specifically cited foreigners from Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mexico, and other countries, blaming them for taking jobs and contributing to crime.
The leader of the ActionSA party, Herman Mashaba, said at the protest, “People can call us names, but we cannot allow a situation where our country is being destroyed before our very own eyes.
“We are seeing our government allowing our country to be flooded by groups from all over the world, as far as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mexico, all over the world. So we are saying to our government, this is unacceptable.”
Some shop owners shut their businesses before the march, fearing looting and violence, while a small group of protesters harassed bystanders and looted shops, prompting a police response.
The protest reflects rising tensions in South Africa over unemployment and competition for jobs, with nearly 32 per cent of the population currently unemployed.
According to the statistics agency, around three million foreigners, about 5.1 per cent of the population, live in the country.
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