Zimbabwean journalist injured in SA xenophobic attack

JOHANNESBURG – The Daily Sun said that it was standing by a report it published on Thursday which described a xenophobic assault on one of its journalists. “The reporter is sticking to the story and it is backed up by a local councillor,” said Daily Sun editor-in-chief Themba Khumalo.

Khumalo promised that more revelations on the attack would be published on Friday. “We are amplifying it in tomorrow’s newspaper.”

According to the report, Daily Sun journalist Brian Kajengo was struck on the head with a piece of firewood by an unemployed builder. The article was accompanied by a photo of the bleeding Kajengo, who was born in Zimbabwe but has lived in South Africa since 2003. Kajengo wrote that the attack had started with three Mozambican nationals being attacked in two separate incidents.

Mpumalanga police had denied that the assault on Kajengo was a xenophobic attack. Captain Leonard Hlathi said Kajengo, 39, was assaulted in a fight about a cellphone at Mapulaneng on Sunday.

“The fight was about a cellphone which was allegedly stolen and sold to a Zimbabwean man. The owner traced it and went to get it on Sunday. The man found in possession of the cellphone apologized and the matter was resolved,” Hlathi said. The Zimbabwean found in possession of the phone apparently went to report the matter to his countryman, Kajengo.

“After that Kajengo and 12 other men went to confront the owner of the phone and a fight ensued. Kajengo was injured in the forehead and a case of assault was opened. Allegations that the incident was influenced by xenophobia are unfounded and malicious,” Hlathi said. The man who allegedly assaulted Kajengo was arrested and appeared in the Mapulaneng Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. He was released on R1 000 bail. – Sapa

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