Tuesday, July 20, 2010

At least four foreigners have been injured in the South African township of Kya Sands, Johannesburg in xenophobic attacks

Police said they were also investigating cases of looting. Officers had used rubber bullets, an armored vehicle and helicopter to halt the clashes. Since the World Cup finished, there have been fears of a repeat of the deadly xenophobic attacks seen in 2008. At least 62 people were killed in that violence when South Africans blamed foreign workers for taking their homes and jobs. Johannesburg's emergency services said that they had taken "about five people" to hospital after receiving a call about the violence. Police said four people were assaulted. The authorities have been trying to quell possible xenophobic tensions since the World Cup ended - hosted in Africa for the first time. Thousands of temporary workers taken on for the football showpiece have been laid off since it ended. The Zimbabwean government said it had set up temporary shelters at various border posts for Zimbabweans leaving South Africa following threats of attacks on foreign nationals. An estimated three million Zimbabweans are living in South Africa, after fleeing economic meltdown and political violence at home.

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