Shops looted amid riots in South Africa

Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in nation

At least 20 shops possibly belonging to immigrants were looted in South Africa’s capital overnight, police said yesterday, but they could not confirm if the attacks deliberately targeted foreigners.

Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of near-record unemployment, with foreigners being accused of taking jobs from locals and getting involved in crime.

Responding to similar incidents in Pretoria at the weekend, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said it would summon South Africa’s envoy to raise its concerns over “xenophobic attacks” on Nigerians, other Africans and Pakistanis.

South African police said they did not yet know the motive for the latest attacks, and no deaths had been reported.

“There are allegations that these shops belong to foreign nationals,” police spokeswoman Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said.

“It is alleged that the community members are saying that these shops were used for drug dealing but that is unconfirmed. We will only be able to start a formal investigation once the shop owners come forward.”

‘Sick and tired’

The Atteridgeville neighbourhood, where the looting took place, was calm yesterday as police patrolled the streets.

“We are sick and tired of foreigners who are coming to sell drugs and kill our people, we can’t let the community go down like this,” said an unemployed man in his mid-twenties, who declined to be named.

South Africa, with a population of about 50 million, is home to an estimated five million immigrants.