DA condemns criminality and xenophobia in Tshwane CBD

28 August 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns the criminal behavior  and xenophobia happening in the Tshwane Central Business District (CBD) and calls on the police to urgently restore order, as the looting and torching of foreign owned shops continues. The scenes unfolding in the Capital City are, in part, the outcome of violence between foreign shop owners and taxi operators.

There are allegations made by taxi operators that drugs are being peddled by foreign shop owners; if this is indeed the case, this must be reported to the law enforcement authorities, which in turn must act swiftly. Citizens must not take the law into their own hands and become criminals themselves.

Everyone has the right to express their dissatisfaction through legal protests but it does not give them the right to vandalise property and loot shops. This is pure criminality.

Tensions between locals and foreign nationals flare up on an increasingly regular basis, which speaks to poor border management, which disadvantages both locals and foreign nationals, and the fight for economic resources – both of which the National Government do not have a hold on.

Issued by John Moodey, DA Gauteng Provincial Leader, 28 August 2019