Parties condemn looting of foreign-owned shops in Soweto

warning systems, and plans to prevent and combat xenophobic violence.

“Prevention is always better than cure,” he said.

The Jesuit Refugee Service SA said foreigners and refugees were legally entitled to live in the country, and contributed to the economy.

“Any xenophobic attack is an attack on this country and its people,” service regional director David Holdcroft said.

He asked for dialogue between church and community leaders, local businesses and foreigners.

“We ask the community to be wary of being used as pawns by some local business owners. Let us look for ways of working together and co-existence.”

In Soweto, shops owned by foreigners were looted following the shooting of Siphiwe Mahori, 14, in Snake Park, on Monday. The boy was apparently part of a group trying to rob a shop.

According to Weekend Argus’s sister title The Star,

for peaceful another local teenager, Nhlanhla Monareng, 19, was shot dead, and a Malawian shopkeeper, 74- year- old Dan Mokwena, beaten to death.

Monareng was killed when police fired into a crowd gathered at a Pakistani- owned shop in Naledi on Wednesday night.

He was a bystander and friends with the Pakistanis, the newspaper reported.

The Gauteng branch of the National Association of School Governing Bodies was saddened by the deaths.

It called on all relevant parties to ensure that children avoided criminal conduct during and after school hours.

Gauteng provincial police commissioner General Lesetja Mothiba said yesterday that youth addicted to drugs had been identified as those looting shops.

“They targeted specific items such as prepaid airtime vouchers, cigarettes and cash,” he said.

Gauteng police said yesterday they had arrested 153 peo- ple on charges including murder, attempted murder, possession of suspected stolen property and fraud.

They had retrieved 11 guns, 10 of which were seized from foreigners.

The looting has since spread to Diepsloot, a poverty-stricken township north of Joburg, and Kagiso, on the West Rand.

President Jacob Zuma had instructed the security cluster in cabinet and provincial and local leaders to bring the situation under control. – Sapa

PICTURES: PABALLO THEKISO BAYING FOR BLOOD: Residents shout at Pakistani shop owners, whose spaza shop had been END OF THE LINE: Joburg Metro Police Department officers escort foreign shopowners out of Braamfischerville this week.

CLEARING OUT: Pakistani shop owners move stock out in Braamfischerville after their spaza shop was looted and their lives threatened.