DigitalSoldier
Honorary Master
A legal row over the sale of a Khayelitsha house has blown up into a racial war, with Khayelitsha residents stoning the home of a new "coloured" neighbour.
After a protracted legal battle, teacher Adrian Adams was due to move into the house on Monday, but residents welcomed him with a stream of abuse, saying he belonged in Mitchells Plain and alleging that coloured people would bring tik into the area.
Ownership of the house has been disputed for some time, with the previous owner, Nozibele Stamper, refusing to vacate the premises to make way for Adams.
'I think it's the fear of the unknown'
Then on Tuesday night the animosity erupted into violence after a crowd of residents gathered outside the D-section house in support of Stamper.
When the Cape Argus team arrived at the house at 5pm, the 100-strong crowd appeared hostile, but were protesting in orderly fashion.
The team left for 20 minutes - and returned to find the windows shattered by stones. The crowd had grown to about 400.
Adams was not at home at the time.
The mob threatened two security guard Adams had hired to watch the house. He had also deployed two Doberman guard dogs.
Security guard Nazeem Isaacs, of GRD Security, said the crowd had become violent, forcing him to call the police.
"All of a sudden they started throwing stones at me and (the other guard) Mbulelo (Maswana). Everything went fine yesterday, but after what I saw today, I'm not putting my life in danger for someone else - I have children to support," he said.
The crowd sang and jeered at a dozen police officers who tried to disperse them peacefully.
They dispersed soon after 6pm.
Adams, who had been warned of the crowd's presence, had stayed away.
A neighbour said people were more willing to support an old neighbour than one they "didn't care about".
When he entered the house on Monday, Adams stood in an empty kitchen as residents hurled insults at him.
"Go back to Mitchells Plain, we don't want coloureds here!" they shouted. Others said they feared coloured people would introduce tik to the area.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3045&art_id=vn20080130112257222C956973
Why is this not making headlines accross the country like any other racist case ?