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Death toll rises to six in S. Africa's xenophobia violence

Xinhua, April 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

A foreigner has died in a xenophobia attack, bringing the death toll to six since violence erupted in late March, authorities said on Friday.

The foreigner, whose name and nationality were not given, was attacked and killed after by a mob at his home in KwaZulu-Natal Province, where the latest wave of xenophobia violence first erupted on March 25.

"We can now confirm that a sixth person has died as a result of the current violence in KwaZulu-Natal," police spokesperson Jay Naicker said in a statement.

In KwaZulu-Natal Province, police had arrested 112 people for a range of offences related to clashes between police, foreigners and locals.

Hundreds of foreign-owned shops have been looted and thousands of foreigners displaced.

Violence waned in areas around Durban on Friday due to the work of police, civic and religious organsations and Thursday's peace march in solidarity with foreign nationals, police said.

But in central Johannesburg, sporadic acts of violence took place, prompting police to respond with rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse rioters in the area.

Since Wednesday when violence spread to Johannesburg CBD, police have arrested a total of 18 people for malicious damage to property, said Theko Pharasi, Deputy Police Commissioner of Gauteng Province.

Also on Friday, Deputy President Ramaphosa called for an immediate end to the violence.

South African Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation Mait Nkoana-Mashabane called an urgent meeting with Heads of African Missions in Pretoria on Friday.

She assured African ambassadors that South Africa is doing all it can to quell xenophobic attacks.

There have been reports that South African companies doing business in some other Africans were preparing to evacuate their employees, fearing for reprisals. Endi