December 05, 2008 Edition 2
By FRANCIS HWESHE
Special Correspondent
Continuing violent attacks on refugees who hae reintegrated into local communities highlights the need for security strategies to be stepped up, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned.
The office is visiting refugees who have left safety sites to return to local communities - following the May xenophobic violence that left nearly 20 000 displaced - to assess the situation.
Senior liaison officer Olivier Beer said that just more than a week ago a Somali shop-owner was killed in Khayelitsha, and a Congolese family attacked in Nyanga. Their house was ransacked and their children had to be treated in hospital.
"Any reintegration strategy must address these issues in order to avoid another outbreak of violence against foreigners," said Beer.

He said there were still about 660 refugees living in the two officially closed safety camps - Blue Waters near Strandfontein, and Youngsfield in Wynberg. The government was no longer providing food or electricity to these sites, but emergency healthcare was being administered, and water and sanitation provided.
According to Beer, the UNHCR was working with refugee service providers to find solutions to assist those still living in the camps.
He described as "misinformation" the rumours that all displaced foreigners still at the safety sites had "the right" to be resettled in a third country.
Such information was "undermining their ability to search for solutions for themselves, and restart their lives in South Africa".
"As a consequence, a small group is still refusing to leave the sites."

Source: Cape Argus
NB: URL:
http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4747960