“DURBAN DIVIDED!” Foreign Nationals, Patriots & Police At Center Of Heated Crisis

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:23]H if you can just tell me what where to now. You've moved away from the police station. Where to now?

[00:00:27]>> Yes. Yeah. I the police is moving us police station I don't know now the police is going where he says can GO CAN GO SO I DON'T KNOW can go where the police is posting us yesterday is going there police station I will stay there I will sleep there he said protect us is going that's integral police station going to put the camp if they can going the camp the right there the parent is come to us he's fighting to us TO SEE MY DRESS SEE my dress yesterday the parent is beating us The police tell the police. The police is coming back that time the court yesterday. Even today he says PROTECT US. SO NOW HE PUTTING THE BOMB FOR PETROL. THEY PUTTING THE BOMBS PEOPLE. THEN HE SAY HE MUST GO. SEE THE PARENT IS TOO much here. Where where you where you going to go now? HE'S GOING BACK NOW. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO. THE POLICE SAY CAN GO BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE I CAN GO. EVEN THE police is under us.

[00:01:22]Even the police is under to us. HE SAY CAN GO.

[00:01:40]SO PEOPLE are saying they don't have anywhere TO GO. WE DON'T HAVE PEACE. WE need peace. Please, this is too much.

[00:01:47]Like now I'm not working. They broke my salons. THEY JUST ENTERED THE TEST TOO MUCH. THEY SPUN EVERYTHING. WHERE do I start? Where do I start from? What is all this? We are parents. WE'VE GOT HURT. OUR kids are suffering. They're going to the school and take out the child. Just imagine the trauma that the child will have at that time. This is very bad. It's too much. California must stop. We are all Africans.

[00:02:11]>> They are not going to work anymore because they're afraid. And they are not even afraid. They've been taught with the match and match they must not go to work. They have to leave the country. We are surprised when they are doing that criminality activities. Police they are in front of them. We so we came here to tell the police stand and do your work.

[00:02:30]Stand and protect us. Stand and do what you supposed to do. They came and ask the documents. They are not they doesn't have that ability. They doesn't even know which document are these people are using. The police are there. They supposed to do those works. Are police who can ask people which document are you using? Police they are standing when a community a community come and ask the refuge their document the document that they doesn't even know they didn't recognize which document are using so police they must come into this matter and protect us which all we have that is why we came here >> it's still going to be here we want to know what protection they there to give us cuz we need the protection that is what we need if we don't get the protection they want to kill us this thing is very But they're going flat to flat inside our flats. Our businesses harassing us just for nothing. It doesn't make sense. It's too much. We are staying here. We are not going anywhere.

[00:03:34]We are not going anywhere. We want a solution. We want a protection here.

[00:03:38]This is nothing compared to what we foresee coming uh for the country because the level of entitlement, the level of of brazeness that comes with the foreign nationals that we have in this country is something I've never seen in my life before. And it's it's because for the longest time they felt that um the laws of the country apply only to South Africans and we're the only ones that need to abide by the laws of the country. I mean, who goes to a police station um if they feel like they're not safe? Because you go, you open a case and if you feel like you're not safe, you find other means because we also don't feel safe um because of foreign nationals. That's why we protest on our streets, but we don't go and hang out at the police station and tell them what to do.

[00:04:24]>> But what you're seeing there are images of I mean yesterday there was a woman with a baby on her back uh with police firing tear gas and stun grenades at them. These are uh people that are essentially saying they have nowhere to go. That as a result of organizations like March and March, as a result of organizations like March and March, they're unable to move freely because they say everywhere they go, they're being asked to show documentation.

[00:04:48]>> But that's supposed to happen in every country that you visit because I've traveled across the world and everywhere I go, I know that I have to carry my documentation. It's not like it's something that just done because they're like hiding behind the banner of xenophobia. It's a normal occurrence.

[00:05:03]I'm sure you've traveled. You know, you can't travel without your documents.

[00:05:06]Even if you're going to the beach, you still need to carry your documents because you're in a foreign country. So, why is it a big deal if it's them? And also this thing of carrying babies on their backs. We know it's a tool that's used to to to gaslight South Africans, to make them seem like they're difficult people, etc., etc. I know there was even one who was um who had a plastic bag on her back to pretend as if she's carrying a baby because they know that children obviously get more protection from government and they >> African people. You guys were taught to hate on African people.

[00:05:39]This foreigner came from their country with nothing. They did not have anyone in South Africa that wanted to help.

[00:05:47]They started from scratch. That Somali person was working day and night or that foreign person was working day and night. Okay. You South Africans know to work throughout the week and by the end of the week you spend all your money. By Monday you have nothing. You'll be borrowing money from random friends or random people. You understand? We are not like that. We are disciplined. We do not drink. We do not do that. Okay? We came here because we left families in our country. Families depend on us. So if this foreigner person makes something out of themselves tomorrow, you'll be like, "Nah, how did this person do this?" No. Ask yourself, why are you still stuck in this life?

[00:06:30]Why are you still the same person as yesterday? Ask yourself that the problem is not foreigners. The problem is you South Africans. So please stop creating problems for foreigners. Okay?

[00:06:43]Even if a foreigner appoint a king or appoint anyone in their community, it's in their community. It does not mean this person is a king in South Africa or this person, foreigner person leads a South African people. It does not mean like that. So please correct yourself and make sure what you're speaking about is the truth.

[00:07:07]I hope this helps.

[00:07:17]Heat.

[00:07:23]HEAT.

[00:07:40]South Africa.

[00:07:52]for a South All you did is that you grew up with these people from the moment you started your primary school. You were together with these people with the kids also in school Pacific and also the moment you went to high school metriculated you felt like yeah these people this is where you belong all of a sudden the parents I can say or the elders are now claiming that we don't belong here claiming that some of us have taken the jobs and for me in particular I haven't seen any job where anyone can claim that I've taken or whatever the the claims that they are claiming to say that we have done to them I haven't seen them and I haven't witnessed that but then this itself has really I am psychologically depressed at the moment so any moment even though I slept here I slept thinking will I wake up to see the sunrise will I wake up to see tomorrow because you don't know anything might just happen because the threat is out there >> if you can just remind us again the the nature of the threats that you received what actually happened that led to you being here >> okay as I had mentioned yesterday it's it's the sign boards that are praying around. Okay. It's also the people where they approach you if you are in your garden. For example, particularly us, my family, we like to garden. So, they will go around and then they'll be like, so it's a garden where we are literally staying. So, what do you mean we're going to leave for you? It's not like we're staying for free. So, it's those comments that we are getting from the we feel like it's not safe. Those were coming before the signs of the board were putting in there and also at the jobs also at our our our uncles and our parents who are self-employed as barbers and saloons also. They also being come into the inside and then being told hey what you're doing here and also they will ask for your documents obviously and then when you provide them they would try to refuse. No, it's not legal.

[00:10:16]Whatever you're doing is not good.

[00:10:17]You're taking our jobs and all this. So how do you claim that we're taking our jobs? They're the one who opened up those so-called job that you're saying they're taking from them. So, it's those mostly it's the it's the threats through the words they're telling you saying that's all but if you but the 30th of June you're not out of here something's going to happen to you. We even have a neighbor in the area where I'm staying in where they came in, knocked on the door. They asked the child, "Okay, where is your mother?" And then they had to tell the mother, "Oh, what you still doing here? If but the 30 of June, you're still here. Don't blame us.

[00:10:46]That's how it is. You are putting your number and your name on record."

[00:10:50]>> Yes, we are. We are not safe here. We are scared. All of us you see here, we are Somalians, Bundians, uh and Congalles. We are refugee. There is no safety. We don't need shelter. We stay in our house. We working. But we can't work. There is no safety. We are scared. That's why we are all here. We are seeking refugee. We want human rights to come. UNCCR to come and see what's going on. They must come and take us safe place than here. They must come and decide what they going to do. All of these people, they are here because of their safety. I want to ask you exactly because we've been hearing a lot of these allegations that locals are allegedly attacking and assaulting foreign nationals. But I want to hear your story. I don't want to hear what everyone else is saying. Have you been physically assaulted by a local here in South Africa? A lot of time. My husband has been stabbed, has been shot a lot of time. I have records. A lot of time. And have you opened up a case with the police?

[00:11:54]>> Yes. Yes. My husband has been shot two times, has been stabbed.

[00:11:59]I have we open case, we have the case numbers, everything we have, but you can't do anything. You don't know the person where to find him.

[00:12:07]>> Okay. Uh my name is Omari Atmani. I'm from Mi. Yeah, usually we are here. The reason why we here, we are here for protection because right now we no longer feel safe where we living.

[00:12:21]Especially me now, I been attacked. I'm doing a delivery. Actually, they attacked me by mistreat by me injection.

[00:12:29]They beat me here and they also break my bike. My bike has been breaking and actually I get to open the case. Yeah.

[00:12:37]And uh also the people right now we we no longer going to big workshop because once you jump over the bike they just come here and ask for.

[00:12:50]Yeah. Actually this thing is like new to us because now actually we've been living with these people all along as a sist brothers because some of us we are living with their sisters and also living with them they have a children and we take care of their children we don't mind whether they South Africa where you coming from but we don't mind we just we just call the thing Ubuntu so right now where is Ubuntu today imagine people they promise you on the 30th of June is going to be killing. So that's why we are here. We came to ask for protection. We've been here since yesterday and also we sleep here and until now we are still here. Yesterday they took us to the camp where they took us actually the metrop police escort us.

[00:13:38]When we reach the there's also citizen inside. They refuse us. If we go inside the inside where they place a police arrange for us they refuse. Actually even the police themselves they call us they say you might better go back by central and that's the reason why we here we are a lot of people here a lot of people because we not feeling safe we asking for help please we need the help and also actually uh we no longer feel safe even by a hospital where we going this Zandandy he left a virus in the hospital she claim right now where What I can say is the government mustn't keep eyes closed on her because right now she left the virus all over the hospital. Even now today we no longer feel safe to go in the hospital.

[00:14:30]We're here any statement. We came here to say we are insulting what we can do.

[00:14:35]They say it's only police. That's why we slept over outside your central. We are sorry statement because I see that there are waves which are inside which we cannot allow. We came we feel safe to be under South African police because you are law enforcement. That is what we are we are here. Please please and this office of lawyers they deal with law.

[00:15:01]These people they came for refugee social savings and then after us leaving here they close office there is a notice for 2 weeks. So without police we are not safe and for your information sake we didn't want to to go behind anyone.

[00:15:19]We know that police you've been good to us and even today going to be good even though you already shoot us the way you force but under you we are protected.

[00:15:28]Our people under your protection. This other story leave it aside. We never eat since yesterday. You can see my mouth.

[00:15:35]My blood level is going low. You see how my hands are I never eat since yesterday. All these things if we going to die but we just need your protection.

[00:15:45]No food, no shelter, those other things like Bible say seek first the kingdom.

[00:15:50]You are our kingdom where our refugee is. If you throw us there's no way for we are behind you. Please trying to play with your mind. In fact, we spoke to them yesterday. They don't have something to tell us. They are the one with the refugee social service.

[00:16:12]They say if they assaulting you, go to police, prove them and they will protect you. That's why we are here. Say leave those other rumors. There are rumors they don't know what they talking about.

[00:16:23]Maybe yesterday we spoke to one person.

[00:16:26]Today you spoke to other person. The person you spoke to there was a male or female.

[00:16:32]>> Yeah. Yesterday we spoke to female and we can point her. So they trying to play politics with us. No, we are not baby.

[00:16:40]We are mature people and we stand on behalf of this world here. We need your your help.

[00:16:46]>> Okay. I'm talking about >> from now what?

[00:16:54]>> You just protect us. If you going to put us on the >> protect us our protect you >> our life because >> on the road. Yes.

[00:17:02]>> I don't know wherever you going to put us in. This is what you've been saying from yesterday. If you say no, let us go back to go. If you say stay here, we just need you guys to be with us because there are lots who want to kill us.

[00:17:16]>> That's all the point of view. Please, please.

[00:17:27]There's no fitting response to respond to people who make it a habit to become victims even in situations that they create themselves because there's a law in the country and everyone has um a responsibility to utilize the law um regardless of where they come from.

[00:17:47]though they have an opportunity to go to the police station and open a case against people that they claim are abusing them, but they opted to go to the police station and sleep there.

[00:17:56]We're not sure if the police station is supposed to operate as a hotel for them or not. We're not sure. But if their claims are valid, then we are hoping that they're going to go to the police station and do what a person is actually meant to do at a police station instead of seeking for sympathy and seeking for policemen to be their personal bodyguards because that's not how the country operates. But unfortunately, we know foreign nationals don't um understand the rule of law. Firstly, because of the countries that they come from um and secondly because they have become very entitled. So if you're going to accuse people especially us as March and March of having done something then onus is on you to prove that we actually did it.

[00:18:41]>> Just let me ask you the question this way and that is that do you believe that there are people who are going around house to house asking people whether they are foreign nationals and they could possibly be doing this in the name of March and March. Are you aware of any rogue elements that could be doing that?

[00:19:05]>> I don't know of any such elements and I'm surprised to actually hear that today. But like I said, when people have automatically assume the position of being victims, that's what they always do. They always seek to be victims because remember even when we are marching the streets, they were the very same people who are claiming that by us marching on our streets and exercising our constitutional rights, then we're being xenophobic. Until now, we've been waiting for that claim to be confirmed with facts because you can't actually say people are xenophobic because they're marching in their own country on their own streets um exercising their constitutional rights. And you know, it's very sad to see that nobody actually ever holds these foreign nationals um to account for the things that they say. Um, so that's why we find ourselves in this situation where they feel like they've got a certain level of entitlement and they can lie and say whatever they want to say and nobody ever challenges them about the things that they say about other people. I mean, we're a movement. We've been a movement for a whole year. What would change from the things that we've been doing since last year that will make them feel like um we are now um going doortodoor and and telling people to leave? If people are doing that, why do they want to associate them with March and March if people are not actually showing them any type of proof that they are members of March and March if something like that actually did