Zimbabwe pair victims of terrifying race attack in Scotland

Zimbabwe pair victims of terrifying race attack in Scotland

VICTIMS: Musunhe (left) and Khawula

• Zim couple attacked by racist gangs in Scotland

• Zim businessman held over theft of 30 000 pills in US

• Zanu PF UK asylum network exposed

• Police shed more light on visa scam arrests

• Zim man nabbed in visa scam

• Zim man charged with knife murder in UK

• Zim asylum seeker jailed for kidnap in Wales

• Zim man gets life for killing wife in UK

• Zim man on murder rap in UK

• 'Zim doctor groped nurses in Canada'

• Zim man faces kidnap charges in Wales

• Nyarirangwe hits back at rape charges

By Nicola Stow

SHOPPERS stood by and did nothing to help as two teenage Zimbabwean girls were subjected to a terrifying racist attack in Scotland.

It took a pensioner to finally intervene and stop the two Zimbabwean girls being assaulted outside a city shopping mall.

Rumbi Musunhe and Nonkululeko Khawula, both 18, were attacked for up to ten minutes by a teenager who repeatedly pushed them, called them "f****** niggers" and told them to "go back to Africa".

Ms Musunhe was also slapped across the face during the assault on Pennywell Road.

Police confirmed Friday that they were treating the incident as a racially motivated assault.

Pensioner Stan Lawson, 66, of Pennywell, was also assaulted as he tried to help the girls. He said today: "I had no choice but to step in to try to help them. What I found hard to believe was that there was a group of shoppers just standing around watching.

"There was a couple of big blokes there but not one of them bothered to help these poor young girls. I stepped in and got hold of the attacker and that was when he whacked me."

The victims said the attack started when the white assailant, who is thought to be in his late teens, threw a tennis ball at them.

Ms Musunhe, who is originally from Zimbabwe, said: "We were on our way back from shopping when this guy threw a tennis ball at us. Nonkululeko kicked it back at him, and thought nothing of it. He then came over and started pushing Nonkululeko around. I started shouting at him to stop and he hit me in the face.

"He was raging. He was shouting and swearing at us and making racist remarks. He said that we should ‘go back to Africa’ because we were ‘f****** niggers’. He kept pushing us around, calling us ‘black bitches’. It was awful, I don’t know why he picked on us - we don’t know him and did nothing to make him angry."

The attack happened outside the Muirhouse Shopping Centre at about 5.15pm last Friday.

The women, who both work as nursery nurse assistants, live in Leith but had been visiting a friend in Muirhouse.

Following the attack, the shaken pair walked to Drylaw Police Station to report the incident.

Ms Khawula broke down in tears as she spoke about her nightmare ordeal.

She said: "I am never going back to Muirhouse. I am so frightened about something happening to me again. That man was so angry. I have never seen someone so angry. I felt so humiliated by what he was saying to me. I have heard about racism like this on the television but I never expected it to happen to me. Especially here.

"People were just standing around and watching this man attacking us - no-one was helping. But it was very brave of the elderly man to come and help us. If he hadn’t, the man could have become much more aggressive."

Police are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the suspect.

He has been described as being aged about 18, about 5ft 6in and "skinny". He had a pale, spotty complexion and was wearing dark jeans and a baseball cap.

Councillor Dougie Kerr, who is executive member for equalities, said the council did not tolerate any racist behaviour in the city.

He said: "I find it abhorrent that incidents still happen in this day and age. It is simply not acceptable. Anyone guilty of such offences should be brought to book as soon as possible.
Additional reporting Scotsman
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com