CRI听力:South Africa Deploys More Police Force amid Violence

Police braced themselves for another busy night as hundreds of hostel dwellers threatened violence to drive out foreign nationals from the city on Friday.
　　
Hostel dwellers vowed to continue their protest as long as foreign nationals remained in the country.

Police have fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse rioters in the area, a fresh hotbed of xenophobic violence following similar acts of violence in the city of Durban.

Some 22 people in connection with the violence have been arrested.

South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane described the attacks on foreign nationals as a threat to their historical achievements as a nation.

"The South African government will also do everything within its power to ensure the safety of all citizens and foreign nationals, irrespective of their status. Similarly foreign nationals must meet all legislative and regulatory requirements, as prescribed by our immigration and applicable laws and regulations."

Most of the targets in South Africa have been Mozambicans, Malawians, Zimbabweans, Somalis, Congolese and Nigerians.

Foreign-owned businesses in Johannesburg were also looted, including some shops ran by Chinese nationals in South Africa.

A Chinese shopper owner, surnamed Yan, is one of them.

I'm scared and I closed my shop for three days. I didn't sleep at the shop when they broke in. The land lord helped me to call the police. The policemen captured three people at the scene and managed to retrieve some goods. But few were left. I lost the goods worth about 300,000 South African rand and a few hundred thousand cash. I didn't know what to do so I turned to the Chinese community and the Chinese Consulates General. They attached great importance to my case and urged local police to break the case as soon."

The Malawian Information Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa said his government has hired buses to repatriate 500 of its nationals.

He urged South Africa to provide greater protection for immigrants, echoing demands from China and the African Union.

Wu Shaokang, director of the South African Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Center briefed on the current situation of Chinese nationals in Johannesburg.

"Because of the ongoing violence, some shops run by Chinese have been shut down. To us, life has restored and we have reopened for business. But the situations of Chinese shop owners near downtown area is still bad. We will have a meeting about how to cope with the situation, but currently the Chinese people here are all right."

The Chinese Embassy and Consulates in South Africa are calling for immediate and effective measures to protect the personal safety and property of Chinese nationals.

The violence first was sparked by growing complaints by locals that foreigners are entering the country illegally and are involved in illegal trades.

No Chinese casualties have been reported so far.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.