In the first major violence in South Africa since apartheid, there were attacks in Johannesburg against foreign immigrants this weekend. The attacks mainly targeted Zimbabwean immigrants. The violence which began last week has already left more than 20 people dead, and have driven 30,000 people out of their makeshift homes.
There are about 3-5 million immigrants to South Africa. Amid rising inflation and unemployment in South Africa, foreigners are being targeted because they are, it is said, taking South African jobs. Many Zimbabweans have left the country and fled to South Africa due to the instable political climate in Zimbabwe and are now facing attacks from South Africans themselves.
With attention at the moment being turned to the China olympics and the possible boycotts that may rock the olympics, it will be interesting to see whether attention will soon be turned to South Africa which is supposed to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Below is a video from SkyNews detailing the violence in South Africa
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