Cops calm xenophobia battle
2008-02-20 19:10
Pretoria - The tense situation at Itireleng informal settlement normalised on Wednesday afternoon, after conflict between residents and foreign nationals in the area, said Pretoria police.
Captain Thomas Mufamadi: "The situation has normalised although police are still monitoring the area."
Earlier on Wednesday, residents of the settlement just outside Laudium assaulted three foreign nationals whom they accused of committing crimes in the area.
Other foreigners had moved up to a mountain in the area to get away from residents.
This followed an incident on Monday in which vehicles were damaged when police intervened.
The residents are accusing all foreign nationals living in the area of committing crimes.
Mufamadi said that the situation began to return to normal about noon.
"No shacks have been burnt and no arrests have been made," he said.
- SAPA