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Zim driver battles for life after fresh SA xenophobic attacks

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South Africa Xenophobia 2019

Tineyi Takawira a Zimbabwean truck driver is battling for life at a hospital in Durban, KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa after he was caught up in suspected fresh xenophobic attacks in the neighbouring country.

More than 100 foreigners, among them Zimbabweans, were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge at Sydenham Police Station.

Zimbabwe’s Consul General to South Africa, Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro yesterday confirmed that the truck driver, Mr Tineyi Takawira, was admitted to King Edward Hospital after he was stabbed during an attack.

“I can confirm that Tineyi Takawira, a Zimbabwean truck driver is admitted to King Edward Hospital in Durban after he was attacked by protesters in Durban’s Springfield Park informal settlement. The protesters barricaded roads and intercepted truck drivers demanding to see their identity documents and those found to be foreigners were attacked,” he said.

Mr Mukonoweshuro said a Zimbabwean woman married to a Malawian truck driver was among the people who fled to the police station after she was attacked and badly injured.

He said they were yet to ascertain the exact number of Zimbabweans who were attacked and were working with police and relevant authorities in the neighbouring country.

“We believe that there could be a substantial number of our people who were injured during the attacks but we are yet to ascertain the figures. Police have assured us that the situation has calmed down but we will continue to monitor the situation,” said Mr Mukonoweshuro.

The first wave of violence broke out in the Kenville area, north of Durban on Sunday at about 11 PM when mobs of protesters burst into the homes of foreigners grabbing property that included beds, TV sets, pots and baskets before targeting foreign-operated shops.

The protesters, numbering about 100, blocked Sea Cow Lake and Inanda roads using rubble from burnt tyres.

The attacks left three people dead and they are all South Africans.

Two of the victims were shot by a foreign tuckshop owner who opened fire on the mob that was looting his shop.

The attacks on foreigners flared up in Durban between Sunday night and early Tuesday, forcing over 100 foreigners to flee their homes and seek refuge at a police station.

KwaZulu Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thulani Zwane yesterday confirmed that more foreign nationals sought shelter at Sydenham Police Station on Tuesday night.

“About 70 foreign nationals went to Sydenham Police Station for help on Tuesday night but no serious injuries were reported,” he said.

According to South African media reports, unemployed informal settlement residents are angry because foreign nationals are employed by local companies.

The Durban attacks come barely three days after the South African government launched a national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and ethnic intolerance.

The attacks targeted at foreign shop owners began on Sunday night at Kenville residential area in northern Durban.

Residents woke up to screams and chants as a mob of people walked through the area overturning refuse bins, cutting down tree branches, burning tyres, looting shops and stoning cars and homes.

Two suspects aged 22 and 28 years have been arrested for public violence and have since appeared at the Durban magistrates’ court

A video is also circulating on social media showing foreigners being attacked and one man is heard speaking in Zulu, saying foreigners are working and the locals are not working.

On Monday, South Africa launched a national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and ethnic intolerance.

It was launched by the Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister John Jeffery at the St George Hotel in Irene and the event was attended by civil society organisations and government officials among others.

The document was approved by Cabinet last month and will be revised every five years.

The latest attacks evoked ugly memories of the deadly xenophobic attacks of 2015 which displaced thousands of Zimbabweans and other African immigrants living in South Africa following alleged inflammatory remarks by Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, who had called for the expulsion of foreigners. The Chronicle

CRIME

Uncle Roland Muchegwa Fined 68 Million Rands For Tax Evasion

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Uncle Roland Muchegwa

Uncle Roland Muchegwa ’s ostentatiousness lifestyle is alleged to have triggered the authority to conduct a lifestyle audit on him after he went viral on social media for splurging money on beautiful Mzansi women keen to make a ‘quick buck’.

Roland Muchegwa is alleged to be part of a fuel smuggling syndicate which has been diverting cheap fuel from areas like Kwazulu Natal province after misrepresentation of export and allegedly selling it at a profit in Limpopo province.

The well-knit syndicate also allegedly imports fuel from South Africa and lies that it’s in transit to DRC but offloads it in Zimbabwe where there are fuel shortages and feeds the black market for ridiculous profits.

The tanker then proceeds to DRC filled with water, because the weighbridge cannot dictate the type of liquid but quantity of contents, so this exercise legitimises the rot.

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CRIME

Wilfred Marodza raped woman four times in the park

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Wilfred Marodza

Wilfred Marodza, a trainee solicitor at a top law firm who repeatedly raped a young woman after stalking her and dragging her to a park is facing years in prison.

Marodza, 28, pounced on the victim, in her twenties, in the early hours of July 20 as she walked along Great Dover Street in Borough, grabbing on to her neck and threatening her as he forced her into a secluded part of Dickens Fields.

He then stripped her and raped her four times before she managed to break free, Inner London crown court heard.

She fled naked through the street with Wilfred Marodza in pursuit, as he claimed to bystanders they were having a “domestic” before she managed to escape in a passing minicab.

Marodza, a trainee solicitor with firm Cripps Pemberton Greenish, had been drinking in the area before carrying out the attack at 2.15am and struck again less than two hours later.

He grabbed another woman, also in her twenties, from behind in Borough High Street and put his hand over her mouth, attempting to drag her into a side street. However, the woman screamed and Wilfred Marodza fled.

Police were able to catch him because he left his rucksack, with his work identification inside, at the scene.

CPS prosecutor Nahid Mannan said: “This was a horrendous attack on two young, lone females. The prosecution case included compelling evidence showing Marodza dragging the two victims to secluded areas and also chasing the naked victim he had just raped.

“Marodza also left his rucksack containing his work identification at the scene of the rape, allowing police to easily identify him.

“The CPS takes crimes against women extremely seriously and I hope this conviction goes some way to provide the victims with a degree of closure.”

At court yesterday, Wilfred Marodza, a Zimbabwean national from Eastbourne in East Sussex, pleaded guilty to four counts of rape, kidnapping and a charge of committing an offence with the intent to commit a sexual offence.

He was remanded in custody by Judge Nigel Seed QC until a sentencing hearing next month.

Gavin Tyler, the managing partner at Cripps Pemberton Greenish, said: “We are completely appalled to learn of Wilfred Marodza’s conviction for such shocking offences. We were informed by the police in July of the arrest and that he was remanded in custody but did not know anything about the details of the offences until today. Our thoughts, of course, are with the victims and their families.

“Although there were never any concerns raised internally regarding Mr Marodza, we are offering support for staff members who worked closely with him or who feel affected by the news for any other reason.” The Standard

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DIASPORA

Five people killed,189 arrested so far in Johannesburg violence

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Johannesburg Xenophobic Violence

Five people have been killed and 189 arrested in a spate of Johannesburg xenophobic violence that has rocked parts of the city since Sunday, police confirmed on Tuesday.

The five deaths have led to police deploying more police officers in areas identified as hot spots.

The latest killings were of two South Africans who were shot in Coronationville on Tuesday afternoon.

“Police have increased deployments to cover all the areas identified as hot spots of violence that have seen several shops being looted, burned and the property being looted,” said police spokesperson Col Lungelo Dlamini.

He said the situation had been stabilised in parts of the Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg Central, Jeppestown and Cleveland policing areas.

This was, however, not the case in Coronationville, as violent clashes continued and claimed the lives of two South Africans on Tuesday.

The clashes forced Gauteng premier David Makhura to leave a meeting between police minister Bheki Cele and those affected by the recent violence and rush to the area to call for calm.

Apart from these two murders, two killings were reported in Hillbrow and one near the Jeppe hostel.

Police had, however, made arrests in connection with the outbreaks of violence.

“A total of 189 arrests have been effected since Sunday,” said Dlamini.

Those arrests are facing a raft of charges, ranging from charges which include public violence, malicious damage to property, theft, and business break-ins.

Police said they were forced to fire rubber bullets to disperse a group of people who planned to loot businesses in Thokoza and Kempton Park in the early hours of Tuesday.

Dlamini said the spate of violent incidents led to criminals gangs taking advantage of the chaotic situation and breaking into businesses, not only those belonging to foreign nationals but also other businesses.

A process to identify leaders of the protests was underway.

“In the meantime, police are identifying the leaders of these violent groups and will be arrested them once full evidence against them has been gathered,” said Dlamini.

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela thanked members of the public who provided information to assist the police in dealing with violent situations.

Mawela has also assured the public that no unlawful activities will be tolerated.

“All our members are on the ground to deal with criminality,” he said.TimesLive

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