Police deployed in Alexandra

2008-05-13 09:29

Johannesburg - A man was shot dead and another injured when violence flared up in Alexandra on Monday evening, bringing the death toll in suspected xenophobic attacks to three, police said on Tuesday.

Constable Neria Malefetse said a total of 39 people were arrested in the Johannesburg township on Monday evening.

"A man was shot and killed and one was injured," she said, adding that both victims were South African.

Another two people were killed on Sunday night - one of them also South African - and dozens were injured when an angry mob took to the streets and targeted foreigners who residents say are not welcome here.

Malefetse said although the violence was aimed at foreigners, two of the three people killed since Sunday were South Africans.

"This is still attributed to the violence that have been taking place but there are other criminals taking advantage of the situation and people are starting to loot the area."

The Public Order police unit has been deployed to monitor the situation which had quieted down by Tuesday morning.

"The police have managed to calm the situation down," Malefetse said.

- SAPA