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Zim national details shelter assault

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A Zimbabwean national subjected to a brutal assault at a shelter in Somerset West last week, has recounted the physical and emotional trauma suffered during the attack. 30-year old Economic Management Sciences (EMS) student, Peter Mufuka was stabbed several times during Tuesday’s incident, allegedly at the hands of a group of white males at a church-based night shelter.

Mufuka was one of only two foreign nationals residing at the shelter, where the majority of occupants are reported to be white. The other foreigner staying at the centre is of Congolese origin. Despite the attack, he has been quick to brush of comparisons to the recent wave of xenophobic attacks seen in Kwazulu-Natal, noting that the incident was in fact racist in nature.

The attack comes amidst unbridled verbal abuse at the hands of the perpetrators. Speaking to VOC News, Mufuka recounted how, on occasions he would be unable to sit down and eat with other occupants at the shelter, without the general conversation taking a more racist direction. This included open declarations to “spot the black guy”.

“To me I wasn’t much worried about it. Sometimes I didn’t even take their meals, I’d just go to my bed, open my books and focus on my studies or my assignments,” he explained.

Mukufa, who studies through the University of South Africa (UNISA), said the assault itself occurred upon returning to the shelter to pick up his student card, which he had forgotten on his way to campus. During this time he was approached and attacked by the group. Aware that he had been stabbed, Mukufa quickly covered his heart in order to prevent further harm. He was subsequently stabbed in the hand.

“He was stabbing repeatedly like he was stabbing an animal. That person, I don’t think he was thinking (aware) he was stabbing a human being. I don’t know what hatred he has in his heart,” Mukufa stated.

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The injuries, as seen in the picture above, include a deep cut right down the middle of his face. Between three and four veins in his left hand was also damaged. With regards to the latter, Mukuba revealed that he had undergone an operation on Monday to address the damage, with three fingers no longer mobile.

He has since left the shelter out of concern for his own safety.

“I left and I’m no longer staying there. It is very difficult for me to stay amongst those people,” he said.

The aftermath of the incident is likely to pose major challenges, especially in the way of his studies. The immobility in his hand, coupled with the constant pain, is expected to leave him unable to write for the next six months at the very least. With an assignment dueon Wednesday, Mukuba admitted he was struggling to cope.

“I don’t know if I’m going to make it on my studies. Besides that, in two weeks time it’s going to be my English exam and it is a written one as well, and now my hand is no longer working. I paid a lot of money for my studies; I paid all my first year semesters (in full). Everything looks like it’s going to be washed down the drain,” he said despondently.

Despite this there was still a sense of resilience in his attitude, vowing to continue his pursuit of a better education in South Africa. Having left Zimbabwe under the hopes of coming to a country with better economic prospects and life in general, he expressed himself unaware of the types of people he would come into contact with in South Africa.

“What I realized is that SA is very difficult country in which to live. People look like they live in groups. If you are Xhosa you have to live like Xhosas, if you are an Afrikaner then you have to live with Afrikaners,” he said, suggesting outsiders were not welcomed into such circles.

A case was opened with police on Friday, after Makuba personally approached PASSOP founder Braam Hanekom, who assisted in personally taking him to the station. Western Cape police have also confirmed that a case has been opened. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)


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