Xenophobia update

I am relieved to say that refugee shelters will remain open for the time being:

Shelters to stay open, for now

"Johannesburg - The shelters for people displaced by xenophobic violence will remain open until a final ruling is received from the Constitutional Court, Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa said on Tuesday.

"It [closing the shelters] would be in contempt of the court," Shilowa said after the court concluded hearing an urgent application to keep the shelters open until a reintegration plan was produced.

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday reserved ruling on the application, while the government has agreed it will not close the shelters until the court has ruled on the matter.

Jonathan Klaaren, a lawyer associated with the application by the displaced, said: "This gives the parties time to agree on an order." "

The representatives of the refugees share my opinion on whether government had "done enough" to help these people:

Govt 'no help to refugees'

"Johannesburg - The government had done nothing to help victims of xenophobic violence be reintegrated into communities, the Constitutional Court heard on Monday.

All it had done was extend the deadline for the closure of the shelter camp to give refugees more time to make their own arrangements, the Court was told by Advocate, Nadine Fourie.

It was only after a High Court ruling last week that the government undertook to help those who approached it with specific needs, she submitted. "