Xenophobia victims turn to equality court, Cape Town – 17 June 2009

Thomas Chamiso Teketel from Ethiopia leads a group of victims of last year’s xenophobic attacks out of court.  Teketel and 11 other foreigners are claiming damages from the Ministry of Safety and Security in the Equality Court, which is sitting in the Cape High Court.  He testified that police refused to investigate the cases of shopkeepers from Ethiopia, Somalia and the Congo whose shops were looted and who were chased out of Zwelethemba in Worcester in March last year.  Xenophobic violence erupted across South Africa last year. Sixty-two foreigners were killed and thousands displaced. Meanwhile, foreigners face ongoing threats.  This group is too scared to return to Zwelethemba, where they fear they will be attacked.