A CAMPAIGN car used by an African woman running for local elections in Tallaght is being spat at and stubbed with cigarettes.
The vehicle carries an image of Zimbabwe-born Green Party candidate Tendai Madondo, who told Metro Éireann: “People spit at it, throw things at it… maybe it’s down to election fever.”
Madondo added that she has a platform to “speak out” on potentially racist incidents, whereas many black immigrants are suffering in silence.
“Over the Easter weekend, a man was stabbed at a cash machine in Tallaght, they were calling him ‘N**ger’ and telling him to go back to his country.”
Many immigrants are “in constant fear” of local thugs, and are being abused for “taking our jobs”. Gardai attend to mounting incidents of intimidation, but this doesn’t end the problems, she added.
Madondo also said many migrant-led organisations receiving Government funding are afraid to speak out, least their finances be cut. “It is difficult for them to challenge the Government as they would bite the hand that feeds them.”
The Green Party candidate has called for greater “leadership” from new Integration Minister John Curran, and for a “strong independent migrant voice” to emerge. She added that urgent research is needed to identify areas where racism is a particularly pressing issue.
‘Arrest these guys’
Zaq Thabo, who runs the African and Asian food store Shoprite in Springfield, Tallaght knows that just being in work could give rise to a nasty shock – or something worse.
“They come in and harass and beat up customers,” says Thabo, on the 20-strong teenage group that is causing havoc in his shop. “Two weeks ago, a [black] man was knifed. I had to call the ambulance and cover him with my coat. It looked as if he’d lost two pints of blood.”
The man had been stabbed while defending himself at a nearby ATM but the youths did not appear to have robbery in mind. “The money was in his hand when he ran into the shop. He said ‘Please, please, take my children home.’”
The night before this incident, adds Thabo, some youths had been asking for him and had said: “Tell him we’re going to shoot him.” Several incidents have been reported to gardaí but this problem has continued.
It is affecting his business, with revenue down about 30 per cent, and Thabo has called for gardaí to clamp down on the group, who are apparently “known” to the force.
Thabo concluded: “Arrest these guys, put them in prison – otherwise we will be punishing them. I’m not looking for trouble but if someone tries to harm me, I’ll try to take them out.”
