A Zambian living in South Africa has been badly hurt after he was stabbed by unknown people on the fore-head.
Zambian Association in South Africa (ZASA) President Ferdinand Simaanya who has confirmed the development said Mr. Daniel Lupiya was stabbed badly injured and was rushed to Germiston hospital where doctors attended to him.
Mr. Simaanya has said in a statement that Mr. Lupiya however remains in pain but out of danger.
He has since asked all Zambians to follow instructions and updates that the association is sending to members.
Mr. Simaanya said currently, the xenophobic incidents are in central Johannesburg, Hilbrow, parts of Primrose, Turfontein, Tembisa and some parts of Pretoria and is advising Zambians to avoid these places.
And the Zambian High Commission in South Africa has also confirmed the deadly attack on Mr. Lupiya, 33, who was attacked this morning on his way home after dropping his niece at one of the schools in the area.
According to the information availed to the Zambian mission in Pretoria, Mr. Lupiya was brutally attacked after a group of unknown people greeted him in the local language but could not respond.
He was then brutally stabbed and left for dead but was rushed to Germiston hospital where he was attended to and his condition has been described as stable.
The assailants’ motive for his brutal attack has not yet been fully established but it is suspected that he was attacked because of the current wave of violent attacks against foreigners in South Africa.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs. Naomi Nyawali, First Secretary Press and Public Relations at the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa.
“He was then brutally stabbed and left for dead but was rushed to Gemiston Hospital where he was attended to. His condition has been described as stable. The assailants motive for his brutal attack has not yet been fully established but it is suspected that he was attacked because of the current wave of violent attacks against foreigners in South Africa.”
Mr. Lupiya has been in South Africa for two months visiting his brother who lives in that country.
“The Mission would like to advise Zambians in South Africa to take extra precautionary measures to ensure that they are safe. It is advised that trouble spots or towns should be avoided as well as movement to other places except where it is absolutely necessary,” Mrs Nyawali said.
Meanwhile, Government through the Ministry of Transport and Communications is cautioning to all Zambian truck owners, bus owners and drivers to immediately avoid travelling to South Africa until the security situation improves.
Minister of Transport and Communications, Mutotwe Kafwaya is urging Zambian drivers currently in South Africa to park their trucks in safe and secure designated places that authorities in that country may recommend until security improves.
Mr. Kafwaya said in line with bilateral road transport agreement between Zambia and South Africa, the Zambian government will continue engaging the government of south Africa to ensure security measures are put in place to safeguard the lives of all Zambian truck drivers who may be in that country.
This follows a travel alert issued last week by the Zambian High Commission in South Africa to Zambian truck drivers wishing to travel to that country today following reports that they are being threatened with violence.