South African Police Say 497 Xenophobes Arrested, Admit Looting Ongoing

South African police say 497 persons have been arrested in connection to the xenophobic attacks in the country.

This was disclosed by Mathapelo Peters, the police spokesperson, on Friday.

She said 74 persons were arrested in Katlehong on Thursday, which brought the total number of arrests since the violence erupted in Johannesburg to 497.

However, the police said the looting that began one Sunday had not stopped, especially in the Gauteng Province.

Peters said 11 people were killed during the period but only seven deaths were directly linked to the xenophobic violence.

Meanwhile, Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lt.-Gen. Elias Mawela, has called on South Africans to respect the law while warning them to stop spreading fake news in the social media.

Mawela added, “We must work together to make sure that no one gets to undermine the authority of the State and together condemn the violence and criminality, towards ensuring the safety of everyone in the province.”