At least five killed in Durban since last week in violence that has left hundreds stranded, unable to return home.
Violence against immigrants in South
Africa has killed at least five people since last week in one of the
worst outbreak of violence in years against foreigners in years.
Hundreds of migrants mostly from other
African countries had been forced out of their homes, authorities told
the Associated Press news agency on Tuesday.
Most of the recent unrest occurred in
and around the coastal city of Durban, where police said two foreigners
and three South Africans were killed.
The dead included a 14-year-old boy who
was allegedly shot during looting on Monday night and died at a
hospital, police official, Jay Naicker, police spokesperson, said.
About 34 people have been arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms and other crimes in the last two days, he said.
“Police are deployed and in high alert in most of the areas where there are foreign nationals,” Naicker said in a statement.
Despite the increased police presence,
authorities are hard pressed to stop unrest that recalls similar
violence in South Africa in 2008 in which about 60 people died.
In January this year, four people died
during a week of looting of foreign-owned shops and other violence in
Soweto and other areas of Johannesburg.
Some South Africans have accused immigrants of taking jobs and opportunities away from them.
The latest violence followed reported
comments by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, an influential figure among
the Zulu ethnic group, that foreigners should “pack their bags” and
leave.
Zwelithini has since appealed for an end to the unrest.
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