Over 300 people have been arrested for perpetuating various crimes against foreigners in the latest wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Al Jazeera
reports that 307 suspects had been arrested for a range of xenophobic-related
crimes even as security agencies have also reportedly increased the police
presence on the ground after at least eight deaths in anti-immigrant violence
in the past week.
Meanwhile,
over 1,000 people have been displaced in the xenophobic attacks while Nigerian
Consul-General in South Africa, Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke stated that
Nigerians have lost property worth over N21 million to looting.
The death
toll currently stands at 8 people so far, while Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo
Dlamini also told Al Jazeera that no violent incidents occurred overnight or on
Sunday.
Reports say
South African President Jacob Zuma cancelled a trip to Indonesia in order to address
the situation at home, saying that stake holders would be engaged this week in
order to return the situation to normality.
The latest
wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa started in the country's coastal
province of KwaZulu-Natal, whose capital is Durban following inciteful comments
credited to Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini in which he called on foreigners to
return to their home country.
The attacks
soon spread inland to the country's financial hub, Johannesburg, in Gauteng
province centering around hot spots such as Jeppestown, Alexandra, Malvern,
Thokoza and Cleveland.
In 2008,
over 60 foreigners, including Nigerians and South Africans, who bore a
semblance to foreigners, were killed in xenophobic attacks that analysts
believe had its roots in tensions over a lack of jobs.
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