(Gordon) die raak gelees op Farmitracker ‘Hate’ attack on Indian firms November 19 2013 Durban - A mob, allegedly spewing racial hate speech “kill the Indians, kill the whites” that had held a Phoenix Industrial Park businessman hostage for three hours at the weekend, targeted businesses in the area again on Monday. It could not be independently verified by the time of publication that racist insults had been made, but established that Mayibuye African Forum was involved in the protest action. The body denied that such insluts were made. However, advocate Ashin Singh, of South African Minority Rights Equality Movement (Samrem) said that he had heard the recording and it had contained hate speech. At a meeting last night of Samren and businessmen to find a way to stop Indian business owners from being racially targeted, Singh played four short video clips of the protest in Phoenix Industrial Park Singh said KZN premier Senzo Mchunu had instructed KZN Human Settlements MEC Ravi Pillay, Transport MEC Willies Mchunu and Yusuf Bhamjee, uMgungundlovu district mayor, to form a task team to look into the matter. This could not be confirmed on Tuesday morning, although Mchunu’s spokesman, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said the premier condemned any form of intimidation against anybody including owners of companies. “With regards to MAF (Mazibuye African Forum), previously the premier has condemned their behaviour. If there are issues of concern to them we have legitimate structures and processes to be followed. We can’t allow people to create anarchy… we need stability in the province” Sibiya said. He said Bhamjee had represented the premier and has since relayed that he said there would be “ongoing dialogue on these issues”. Speaking before the meeting, Mohamed Khan, manager of Cool Ice and Browns Hyperstore, said between 40 and 50 people linked to the Mazibuye African Forum brought business to a standstill when they blocked Huntslet Road and Paragon Place and the entrance to businesses on Monday morning. He said police had arrested two truckloads of people when the mob started pelting stones at cars and spitting and swearing at the police. Last night police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, confirmed that 44 people had been arrested and would appear in the Phoenix Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday facing charges of public violence. “Police are patrolling and monitoring the situation in the area,” Zwane said. On Tuesday Zwane said those arrested would instead face charges of illegally gathering. Khan alleged that the “bunch of hooligans” was part of the radical MAF “who are a law unto themselves and who sent word out into the townships to kill the Indians.” However, MAF member, Sgwili Mkhombe, who was part of the protests, denied that the group had made any threats or made any racist remarks against Indians and whites. “Ours was a peaceful demonstration. We were just sitting at the gate singing when the police arrested us.” He said that before the arrest, metro police officers had been present ensuring the demonstration was peaceful. “All of a sudden members of the TRT (the SAPS’s Tactical Response Team) came and circled us and started arresting people, especially the Mazibuye members. I am one of those who managed to run away.” Khan said the mob had closed the gates to his business premises, an ice plant, Cool Ice, in Aberdare Road and locked them with padlocks at about 11am on Saturday. Khan said he had recorded the slogans “Kill the whites, kill the Indians, Africa is for the Africans” and “Kill the C***ies” and “Chinese and Indians must not benefit from BEE” on his iPad and sent it to Mchunu asking him to take action. The premier’s office said it had not yet received the recording. “Why is the ANC being so quiet? It started on Saturday when they came with six cars and closed the streets. This is not even a registered organisation this is just a bunch of thugs,” Khan said. “Their mission is to kick all the Chinese, Indians and whites out of the country.” But Mkhombe said MAF had been requested by the workers to assist them in fighting for better working conditions. “The workers in Phoenix are exploited. They work under very difficult conditions with some of them earning as little as R30. Those working at Cool Ice are not even issued with protective clothing to insulate them against the cold,” he said Khan said the forum had alleged that there was a labour dispute, however, he said it had merely drawn away about 15 of his casual staff into their movement. He said he had been forced to close the ice plant. Khan added: “The problem is that they are not even a registered organisation so you can’t even get an interdict because who do you serve the summons on?” Cosatu provincial secretary, Zet Luzipo, said the race should not be drawn into labour disputes. “Worker exploitation knows no colour. Tell me how many (exploitative) security companies are owned by black people. Yes the race relations between Indians and Africans need to be addressed but exploitation happens everywhere we can’t pretend it’s only happening in Phoenix, it’s happening on the farms in Paulpietersburg and Vryheid, everywhere.” Favours Cash and Cary and Tradeport Distributors managing director, Iqbal Mohamed, said he had to close his businesses for several hours on Monday when the “unruly mob” blocked the streets. “The majority of them are outsiders and they don’t work for any of the stores. They (allegedly) joined the people from the MAF who are the main protagonists (sic) who instigated the crowd to block the entire road for at least two hours,” Mohamed said. “All negotiations failed with the police. They refused to obey the police and continued to make racial remarks. They wilfully blocked the traffic off and brought the industrial park to a standstill.” Mohamed applauded the police for acting swiftly to arrest the mob when they started pelting cars and the police with stones. Mohamed said there was no strike or dispute with workers over wages although several casual workers had been intimidated and stayed away from work on Monday. He said his business paid staff “very above” the minimum wages for the retail and wholesale sector. “Democracy has changed the country. There is no place for racial behaviour. We trade here and are part of the community. There is no difference between blacks and Indians,” Mohamed said. He said the incident was “a bitter pill” and he believed the group had “a hidden agenda” but he was confident the authorities would deal with it. “There is no place for apartheid,” Mohamed said. Singh said MAF facts and media statements were incorrect. It claimed there were 18 million Indians in this country when in fact there were only 1 million. Singh said he was pleased with the immediate intervention by Mchunu in the matter to address the issues of the minority groups affected.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 14:27:21 +0000
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