Pretoria – The Eastern Cape MEC for Human Settlements, Safety and Liaison, Helen Sauls-August, has condemned violence in Nelson Mandela Bay, which has seen brutal attacks and looting of shops owned by foreign nationals.
The violence was sparked by a fall out between locals and foreign national shop owners, who allegedly shot dead a customer at the weekend in New Brighton. A suspect in the case is currently in custody. Seven men have also been arrested in connection with the looting and burning of foreign national-owned shops.
While the MEC strongly condemned the alleged shooting, she has warned people not to become criminals by engaging in vigilante attacks on foreign nationals in the metro.
“People must allow police to do their work and arrest those involved in any form of violence, but no one must break the law by attacking other people or destroying property,” Sauls-August said.
She encouraged community based structures to resolve the impasse between locals and foreign nationals to restore peace and order in the area.
“Those who retaliate [against] the incident of the weekend, where a person was shot dead, will not be spared from facing the might of the law,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
