South Africans killed their own by mistake

The mobs of South Africans that went around attacking foreigners actually ended up killing natives, the government says. Out of the 62 people who died as a result of the riots, 21 were South Africans mistaken as being from other parts of Africa . Language might have contributed to the mistaken identity; for instance, people in the northern part of the nation speak Shangan, a language also commonly spoken in Mozambique . Looks could’ve also played a role, as one native South African who was attacked by mobs told the BBC. “Maybe because of the color pigmentation, one may say I’m from Zimbabwe or Mozambique . These people, they don’t even ask where you are from or what you are doing here – they just kick you, hit you,” he told the network. “They all carry guns; they all carry slash hammers and knives. They even took our cell phones, money and luggage.”

International organizations want Haiti ’s debt forgiven
As if being the poorest country in the western hemisphere isn’t enough, Haiti has to pay out millions each year to service its debt. For this reason, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are calling for some of the world’s wealthiest countries to cancel Haiti ’s debt so the nation can focus on feeding its citizens and provide them healthcare, among other services. The NGOs, representing organizations in Canada , Europe and the United States , say that while Haitians are starving and rioting over food prices, the government is forced to pay $1 million every week to the World Bank and other organizations. They presented their plan to G-8 finance ministers before their scheduled meeting on Friday in Japan.

TAGS: food, hunger, SoutAfricans; Zimbabwe; Mozambique

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