South African president Jacob Zuma cancels foreign trip to address anti-immigrant violence

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South Africa’s president has cancelled a planned foreign trip after a spate of attacks on immigrants, which have killed at least six people.

The latest violence has seen mobs attack and set fire to a number of foreign-owned shop and businesses in a poor part of Johannesburg.

President Jacob Zuma had meant to be travelling to the Africa-Asia summit in Indonesia, but will now stay in the country to coordinate a peaceful response to the recent unrest.

In a statement the president said: “We reiterate our message that there can be no justification for the attacks on foreign nationals. These attacks go against everything we believe in. The majority of South Africans love peace and good relations with their brothers and sisters in the continent.

“We will engage stakeholders next week as we need all leaders to work together to bring the situation to normality. Working together we will be able to overcome this challenge.”

Mr Zuma is to visit Chatsworth in Durban, where some of the worst violence has occurred.

In the Alexandra township of Johannesburg police were out in force, after rioters looted shops, burnt tyres and erected street barricades overnight, according to local reports.

Police resorted to using rubber bullets in an attempt to quell unrest.

Attacks on immigrants, many from other African countries, have decreased after the deaths of six people in Durban.

Across the province of KwaZulu-Natal, which encompasses the city of Durban, 112 people have been arrested during riots.

Some countries have made arrangements to repatriate their citizens because of the violence.

A large number of the immigrants are from neighbouring Zimbabwe, whose president Robert Mugabe said: “If there is any issue arising from the influx of Africans into any country, surely that can be discussed and measures can be taken and taken amicably to deal and address the situation.”

South Africa’s deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, will now attend the Indonesian summit in place of Mr Zuma.

PA