Tensions continue to rise between locals and foreign nationals in Kwa-Thema township in the East of Johannesburg. Residents from the township and surrounding areas have shut down their township after foreign nationals allegedly shot and killed a crane driver last week. The crane driver was hired by locals to remove mobile spaza shops owned by foreigners.

ATTEMSURROUNDING AREAS

This was followed by the attempted shooting of one of the community leaders on Saturday night. Community leader Tshepo Mwelase told ZiMoja that the community was going to meet today to discuss the way to get justice for the slain crane driver. "To be honest with you, what happened on Friday has led to so much hatred for the foreigners in the area. One foreign national was refusing to move out of the area. The community had to be violent towards him after they burnt down the shop," he said.

FOREIGN NATIONALS

Mwelase said that the community wanted the foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Somalia and Ethiopia to move out of their area. "These people killed the person whom we had hired to remove their containers. We can never make peace when they murdered one of ours. We can?t have people coming from neighboring countries to own us. I?m afraid that there will more bloodshed if they don?t move away from KwaThema, the community is very angry. "On Sunday we met with his family, and we sympathized with them on what happened. The assistant of the crane driver is recovering in hospital. At the same time the cops have not arrested anyone on the matter," he said. Gauteng Saps spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi (waiting on his comment)