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Bulawayo Bureau
ONE person died yesterday while shops and property belonging to foreigners of African descent, including Zimbabweans were burnt and looted in fresh xenophobic attacks in South Africa’s Gauteng Province.

In a statement, Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said they were investigating a case of murder following the fatal shooting of a member of the public by a group of people who had gathered in Hillbrow, central Johannesburg.

The nationality of the deceased could not be immediately established yesterday.

“At this stage police are still interviewing several people to establish the motive for the shooting. No one has been arrested for the murder.

“Several operations are still continuing in Tembisa and more people are expected to be arrested. Police are also appealing to any person affected by violence to contact police Emergency number 10111,” said Col Dlamini.

He described the perpetrators as criminal opportunists and confirmed about 100 have been arrested over the attacks.

“Police are condemning all acts of violence directed at the businesses and the looting of shops described as those of foreign nationals by criminal opportunists in areas that include Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg Central.

“Irresponsible use and abuse of social media is also having a way of fuelling these acts of violence and instability to advance the criminal acts. The Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela has instructed all commanders to take strong action against the perpetrators as this state of affairs can’t be allowed to continue,” said Col Dlamini.

He said the violence that started last week in Tshwane has seen a number of shops being burnt and several others being looted.

Col Dlamini said the attacks escalated in Johannesburg on Sunday and other areas in the early hours of yesterday morning.