Johannesburg - At least one person was reported dead amidst a series of xenophobic attacks around the South African city of Johannesburg, reports said. According to the Sapa news agency, at least one man was shot and killed and two others injured in the town of Tembisa, north of Johannesburg after a what police described as "a rampage" by local residents against foreigners.
Six people were arrested for violent acts on Friday night in East Rand near Johannesburg after violent attacks including the burning down of shacks in the district. According to the report, a number of foreigners had to take refuge in a local police station.
Police further said the situation was tense in the Johannesburg township of Diepsloot, where residents were reported to be setting fires in the streets, and foreigners were fleeing the area overnight.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) spoke of a "copy cat" attacks occurring in the province.
Earlier in the week, South African Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula downplayed the xenophobic element to the violence in Alexandra township north of Johannesburg, where two people were killed and dozens injured last week by residents blaming foreigners for their hardships.
The ruling African National Congress, opposition parties and the main trade union federation have all condemned the xenophobic slide in poor communities, which has claimed the lives of several foreigners in recent years.
South Africa's townships are bursting at the seams with migrants from rural areas and from poorer, neighbouring countries, who flock to the continent's powerhouse in search of work.
