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Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Xenophobia: Mozambican Sithole Stabbed to death in South Africa

Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole was walking down a street when four South Africans surrounded him. Sithole pleaded for mercy, but it was already too late. The attackers bludgeoned him with a wrench, stabbed him with knives, all in broad daylight. And Oatway CNN had captured it all on his camera.

"They looked like hardened thugs, just by their intensity, the way they moved, the expressions on their faces," Oatway told CNN. "They wanted one thing and that was to kill Emmanuel. They wanted his blood and nothing was going to stop them from doing that."
Oatway says he tried to get as close as possible, conscious that the attackers were aware of his presence. "When the attack started I was 20 meters (65 feet) away, but at one point I was 4 or 5 meters away," he said. "I did think that maybe they would leave him alone."
Local media alleged that the attacks were a consequence of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini reportedly saying at a recent gathering that foreigners "should pack their bags and go" because they are taking jobs from citizens.
Shortly after his reported comments, violence against immigrants erupted in the port city of Durban.
But on Monday, Zwelithini said he had not called for a war on immigrants. "This war I am calling for today is to protect everyone of foreign origin in this country irrespective of which country they are from."
The United Nations said the attacks actually began in March after a labor dispute between citizens and foreign workers.

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