Headlines
Foreigners Must Go, Insist South Africans as FG Begins Evacuation on Wednesday
There were fresh protests in eastern Johannesburg on Sunday, with the protesters demanding that “foreigners must go back to where they came from.”
During the fresh attacks, one person died, while five others were injured. The nationality of the dead has not been known as of the time of filing this report.
A South African newspaper, Sowetan Live, reported that marchers, who carried weapons such as knobkerries, headed for Jules Park where former Inkatha Freedom Party leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, addressed them.
According to the newspaper, the protesters were chanting, “foreigners must go back to where they came from.”
The BBC reported on Sunday that South Africans disrupted a speech in Johannesburg by Buthelez who tried to quell tensions following last week’s riots and xenophobic attacks.
According to the report, Buthelez was heckled by a rowdy section of the crowd.
He told the crowd he had become a mediator and said he felt ashamed about the recent violence which he said was tarnishing the name of South Africa across the continent.
He said, “What we have seen in the past few days is unacceptable. The attacks on foreign nationals and their businesses are purely xenophobic. It is a violation of human rights and a violation of our constitution. Our constitution enshrines the right to freedom from all forms of violence. That right applies to everyone in South Africa, whether citizens or not.”
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that the police had confirmed that one person had died in renewed violence in the Johannesburg.
The Gauteng Police Commissioner, Elias Mawela, pleaded with residents of the area to allow government to deal with violence in some areas.
Also news24.com reported that Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubele, confirmed that five people were injured.
The casualties were also confirmed by the President, Nigerian Union South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, in a text message to one of our correspondents, which read, “Police have confirmed one person dead and five injured.”
NUSA called on Nigerians to stay away from hot spots where violent protest march by Zulu hostel dwellers in Johannesburg took place.
The Publicity Secretary of the union, Habib Salihu, in a statement on Sunday, said this was to avoid a repeat of the violence recorded last week which led to “monumental loss of property and innocent lives.”
A Nigerian, Samson Onyema, whose business was destroyed during last week’s attacks told one of our correspondents on the phone on Sunday that “South Africans are protesting and moving round now. I am in Malvern and this is happening now. Their policemen are on standby but we don’t know what can happen after this. “
The Punch
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
