On a cold Thursday morning, the central business district of Durban was filled with people. Some of them going to work, some to school, and some just going up and down the streets of the town. That is when I realised how painful it was to every foreign national.

The furious, wild acting crowd of South Africans moved from right to left in every street in town looking for foreign nationals working there. For this crowd of hundreds of people, it was exciting seeing other people getting hurt, homeless, and some losing their lives. The reason for the attack is abhorrence towards the innocent souls. The right to life to those who were killed was totally violated.

As the crowd moved towards one of the immigrants, he was heard asking for forgiveness for nothing and saying these words, “Do not kill me! Take all my belongings but not my life!” Being afraid of losing your life means you are currently not ready to succumb and have many dreams to achieve. Some South Africans do not have generosity. Attacking other people using dangerous weapons shows the intention in killing or hurting. These attacks were just a bolt from the blue. Nobody expected such a situation.

It will never be the fact that our brothers and sisters from African countries stole the jobs from other people. Naivety caused South Africans to not perceive job opportunities in this country. The crime rate in South Africa is not the immigrants’ error. For example, there are cases where workers in the Department of Home Affairs ask foreign nationals for bribes to have any document allowing them a legal stay. Those who support xenophobia are not responsible to identify problems. There is no job stolen.

During widespread anti-immigrant violence, the number of foreigners who were killed has increased and many were again, displaced. The presidency must make sure that there are no more immigrants attacked. The war has ended.

It was pretty reckless to attack foreign nationals. Inventive people always talk rather than solve any problem using a problem. The foreign nationals’ right to safety was violated. They will not feel secure anymore. The senior citizens of the country must educate junior citizens about the wrongs of attacking our fellow Africans to appease and build a peaceful South Africa or Africa at large. Let us keep human rights and freedom alive.

These are our rights and this is our own freedom.