The proverbial hen has landed on a tiny breezy rope causing unease for the rope and the hen.
This is the sad tale as recent Xenophobic attacks carried out by South Africans this time around seem to be eliciting more devastating vengeful reactions not only by Nigerians, but also other African countries.
The South African High Commission in Zambia has reportedly been targeted by violent protests.
With xenophobia making national headlines, it has become apparent that the issue has spread to fellow African countries. It started out as a protest until skirmishes with security personnel led to arson.
In a video posted online, the atmosphere at the South African High Commission in Lusaka was tense.
In the video, protesters can be seen alongside a burning signpost that belong to the SA-based commission.
Malls in Lusaka and Zimbabwe are not spared in several reports from both countries in what is fast becoming a war against anything SA.
Zambia’s high commission in Pretoria had initially issued a statement cautioning its citizens in South Africa to take extra precautionary measures for their safety in the face of widespread attacks and looting targeting mainly the businesses of foreign nationals.
“Trouble spots or towns should be avoided as well as movement to other places except where it is absolutely necessary,” the mission’s Naomi Nyawali said in a statement.
She said a Zambian national in Germiston sustained life threatening injuries on Monday after being stabbed on the forehead by a group of unknown people.
“Daniel Lupiya, 33, was attacked on his way home after dropping his niece at one of the schools in the area. According to the information availed to the Zambian mission in Pretoria, Mr. Lupiya was brutally attacked after a group of unknown people greeted him in the local dialect but [he] could not respond,” Nyawali said.
“He was then brutally stabbed and left for dead but was rushed to Gemiston Hospital where he was attended to. His condition has been described as stable. The assailants motive for his brutal attack has not yet been fully established but it is suspected that he was attacked because of the current wave of violent attacks against foreigners in South Africa.”
Zambian Embassy in Pretoria is yet to respond on the situation. However, it is understood that students had marched to the commission in protest of the recent attacks on foreign nationals. In the meantime, the Nigerian government has recalled the country’s High Commissioner to South Africa and also joined other countries in boycotting the World Economic Forum (WEF) holding in South Africa.
Retaliatory attacks on South Africa’s businesses have been reported by African Exponent. The African Union must step up and ensure that the continent is not turned into a battle ground.
AFP
