Mujahid Safodien, AFP | File photo of South African security officials and migrants in Johannesburg on May 8, 2015.

South African police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to break up clashes between local protesters and migrants in Pretoria on Friday at a march against immigration.

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Shops and homes owned by foreigners have been looted and torched in recent weeks, with some South Africans alleging that the properties were brothels and drug dens.

Attacks against foreigners have erupted regularly in recent years, fuelled by South Africa's high unemployment and poverty levels.

Police in Pretoria formed lines to keep apart 500 protesters as tensions rise between some South Africans and migrants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Pakistan and elsewhere.

"We are fed up with people bringing drugs to the youth and the crimes that go with it," said a South African marcher who declined to be named.

As the stand-off continued, Clement Melfort, 26, a migrant from Zimbabwe who had come to see the march told AFP: "We are not afraid of fighting."

President Jacob Zuma condemned the latest wave of xenophobic unrest, saying that there had been "threats of violence and acts of intimidation and destruction of property directed at non-nationals."

"Residents in some communities blame non-nationals for the escalating crimes especially drug trafficking," the presidency said in a statement on Friday.

Zuma called for South Africans not to blame migrants for the country's widespread crime problems, but said the government would crack down on drug-dealing and illegal immigrants.

'We are scared'

In the last week, more than 20 shops have been targeted in Atteridgeville, outside Pretoria, while residents in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg, attacked at least 12 houses.

"We have decided to not to leave the house (during the march)," Alain Bome, a 47-year-old from Democratic Republic of the Congo who has been in South Africa for 14 years, told AFP.

"We know very well there have been attacks. We are scared."

In 2008, South Africa experienced its worst bout of xenophobic violence, which left 62 people dead.

The Nigerian government this week called for the African Union to step in to stop "xenophobic attacks" on its citizens in South Africa, claiming 20 Nigerians were killed last year.

South African authorities dismiss such numbers, saying many violent deaths in the country are due to criminal activity rather than anti-immigrant sentiment.

In 2008, South Africa experienced its worst bout of xenophobic violence, which left 62 people dead.

In 2015, at least seven people died in similar unrest in Johannesburg and the Indian Ocean city of Durban as African immigrants were hunted down and attacked by gangs

(AFP)</s>President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration has stirred fear and anger in New Jersey's fourth largest city, sparking civil disobedience and forcing the mayor to issue new directives for cooperating with federal immigration officials. New immigration enforcement memos signed this week call for sending some immigrants who have crossed the U.S. -Mexico border illegally back into Mexico - even those from third countries who have no connection to Mexico.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Oak Ridge Observer.</s>Tensions over immigration erupted into violence in Pretoria, South Africa, this week. Reporter Peter Granitz says foreigners are scapegoats for those who are actually upset with the government.</s>At least 300 people gathered for an anti-immigration march in the South African capital Pretoria on Friday, as President Jacob Zuma condemned xenophobic violence that has targeted shops and homes.

Tyres were burnt in streets near Pretoria in the morning, as tensions rise between some South Africans and migrants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Pakistan and elsewhere.

Shops and homes owned by foreigners have been looted and torched in recent weeks, with some locals alleging that the properties were brothels and drug dens.

Zuma called for restraint, saying in a statement that there had been "threats of violence and acts of intimidation and destruction of property directed at non-nationals."

"Residents in some communities blame non-nationals for the escalating crimes especially drug trafficking," the presidency said.

He called for South Africans not to blame migrants for the country's widespread crime problems, but said the government would crack down on drug-dealing and illegal immigrants.

The violence prompted Nigeria to summon South Africa's top envoy to Abuja on Thursday to raise its concerns.

Attacks against foreigners have erupted regularly in recent years in South Africa, fuelled by the country's high unemployment and poverty levels.

In the last week, more than 20 shops have been targeted in Atteridgeville, outside Pretoria, while residents in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg, attacked at least 12 houses.

"We have decided to not to leave the house (during the anti-migrant march)," Alain Bome, 47, from Democratic Republic of the Congo who has been in South Africa for 14 years, told AFP.

"We know very well there have been attacks. We are scared because we know South Africans."

In 2008, South Africa experienced its worst bout of xenophobic violence, which left 62 people dead.

In 2015, at least seven people died in similar unrest in Johannesburg and the Indian Ocean city of Durban as African immigrants were hunted down and attacked by gangs.</s>Some angry Nigerians today staged a protest at the MTN Headoffice in Abuja. The protesters told newsmen that they decided to stage the protest following the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa in which some Nigerians were physically attacked while their businesses were raised by the South Africans. They were chanting anti-xenophobic attacks song during […] The post Photos: Protesters vandalize MTN’s Abuja office over xenophobic attacks in South Africa appeared first on Daily Times Nigeria... Read Full Story</s>Where, at the time the petitioner committed kidnapping for ransom, the Attorney General had discretion under §212(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant him a waiver from the full effect of his criminal conduct under the immigration laws, but six months later, and shortly before his conviction, Congress enacted the Immigration Act of ...</s>The protesters invaded the premises few hours after Acting president Yemi Osinbajo paid the company a visit

Some angry Nigerians today staged a protest at the MTN Headoffice in Abuja. The protesters told newsmen that they decided to stage the protest following the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa in which some Nigerians were physically attacked while their businesses were raised by the South Africans. They were chanting anti-xenophobic attacks song during their demonstration.The protesters broke into the telecommunications office, carted away with phones and money and also destroyed some valuable properties. The police were immediately called in to disperse the protesters.</s>South African police have used stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannon to try to disperse anti-immigration protesters in the capital, Pretoria, and keep them from foreign nationals who had gathered to express alarm about recent attacks.

A police official said 136 people had been arrested in the past 24 hours.

Resentment against foreign nationals has sometimes turned deadly amid accusations that they take jobs from locals in a country where unemployment is more than 25%. Others are blamed for drug-dealing and other crimes.

In 2015, anti-immigrant riots in and around the city of Durban left at least six people dead. About 60 people were killed in similar violence seven years earlier.

On Friday protesters in Pretoria marched towards the foreign ministry, some carrying sticks or pipes. A petition was handed to the ministry in which they suggested the government teach immigrants to “speak properly”. The petition added: “They are arrogant and they don’t know how to talk to people, especially Nigerians,.”

The Nelson Mandela Foundation criticised authorities for “giving permission for a march of hatred”.

“We don’t have hate! We don’t have hate!” one foreign national was recorded as shouting in a video posted by local broadcaster eNCA.

A statement issued by President Jacob Zuma’s office said South Africans should not blame all crime on foreign nationals. It cited recent reports of violence in Pretoria and hate speech on social media.

“Many citizens of other countries living in South Africa are law abiding and contribute to the economy of the country positively,” Zuma said. “It is wrong to brandish all non-nationals as drug dealers or human traffickers.”

Amnesty International accused the authorities of failing to “address toxic populist rhetoric that blames and scapegoats refugees and migrants”.

Zuma said South Africans were not xenophobic, and he called on everyone, citizens and non-citizens, to work together to combat the high crime rate.

The periodic backlash against foreign nationals has hurt the tolerant image the country has tried to present since the end of apartheid almost a quarter of a century ago.

Despite high unemployment, South Africa is one of Africa’s largest economies and remains a draw for people across the continent. Businesses run by Somalis, Ethiopians and others are often targeted in anti-foreigner protests.

Amid the anti-immigrant sentiment, government data shows the number of foreign-born people in South Africa has declined. A report (pdf) last year said the number of foreign-born people fell from 2.2 million in 2011 to 1.6m. South Africa has a population of more than 55 million.

Zuma’s statement on Friday acknowledged complaints about companies that hire what it described as “illegal immigrants”, saying the foreign office would crack down on all employers who “continue with this practice, which is dangerous as it pits locals against non-nationals”.</s>JOHANNESBURG, Feb 23 (Reuters) - South Africa's mobile operator MTN Group said on Thursday it was concerned over the violence against its property in Nigeria, where protesters attacked and vandalised its head office.

"Reacting to recent events that appear to be directed against non-nationals both in South Africa and Nigeria, MTN Group expresses concern over the violence," the group said in a statement.

Nigerian protesters attacked and vandalised the head office of Africa's biggest mobile firm in Abuja in apparent retaliation for anti-Nigerian violence in South Africa. (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by James Macharia)</s>GROUP of furious youths demonstrated yesterday in Abuja against attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Their protest raised the tension between the two countries over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.

Many Nigerians have lost properties and others have been killed in the past.

The protesters stormed the office of mobile giant MTN.

MTN is the biggest South African company in Nigeria. They stole customers’ phones, vandalised equipment and attacked customers, a spokesman for MTN said.

“They forcibly entered the MTN office. Security men were around but unable to curtail the protesters, who forced the gates open and entered the office,” a witness said.

“Some protesters were touts. Some were students. In their midst were some criminals that took away some customers’ phones and other things,” he added, asking not to be named.

A South African government source described the attack as serious. “This wasn’t just some people on the street throwing stones. They broke into the building and stole things and broke things,” the source said.

The incident coincided with a visit by MTN chairman Phuthuma Nhleko to Abuja to see acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

This week, at least 20 shops believed to belong to immigrants were looted in South Africa’s capital. Police refused to say if the attackers were specifically targeting foreigners.

“Currently, in 2017, there are renewed incidents of violence against foreign national in Rosettenville and Pretoria West,” Gigaba told a media briefing.

“Unfortunately, xenophobic violence is not new in South Africa,” he said, recounting similar incidents in the past.

The minister said some residents in Pretoria have planned a march on Friday against immigrants, citing competition for jobs and allegations of criminal activity, such as prostitution and drug dealing in the poor township west of Pretoria.

The South African government is also driving against illegal foreign workers.

South African officials will inspect workplaces to see if firms are employing undocumented foreigners, the home affairs minister says.

A official, Malusi Gigaba, said more than 60 employees of retail chain Spar “without documentation” had been arrested.

Mr Gigaba warned that firms would be “penalised” if they breached the law, and said they should not fuel tensions by “playing locals against foreigners”.

Many unemployed South Africans accuse foreigners of taking their jobs.

South Africa’s foreign affairs department dismissed claims that Nigerian nationals were targets of xenophobic violence.

Spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the attacks were nothing more than sporadic criminal incidents. The government also said inflammatory social media statements by South Africans and foreign nationals against each other were unnecessary.

In his budget speech on Wednesday, South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said that 35% of the labour force was unemployed or had given up looking for work.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given 48 hours ultimatum to all South African companies in Nigeria to relocate over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

The students gave the ultimatum at a peaceful demonstration at some South African companies in Abuja yesterday.

During the march the students carried a banner, which read: ‘’NANS Against Xenophobic Attacks on Nigerians.’’

While the students marched, security men stood and watched to ensure law and order.

The President of NANS, Mr Kadiri Aruna, said in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at DSTV office, a South African company, in Wuse 2, Abuja, that Nigerian students had resolved to condemn the attacks.

“We are saying that enough is enough as South Africans have openly attacked and bullied Nigerians.’’

Aruna said that the protest would also serve as a warning to other countries trying to underrate Nigerians.

He stressed that the poor treatment being meted out to Nigerians was particularly insulting, given the role Nigeria played in ending the apartheid regime in South Africa.

“Nigeria contributed 80 per cent of the freedom the South Africans are enjoying today because we saved them from the jaws of apartheid.

“Who is South Africa to humiliate Nigeria? So they forget things so soon, let them go back to history and records to see how much financial assistance and what the country did to save them,’’ he said.

The union president said that the situation was inhuman and for this reason all reasonable Nigerians must react.

“In science they say you use malaria to cure malaria, now you use madness to cure their madness, and that is why we are advising them to leave Nigerian soil before 48 hours.’’

He said that the Federal Government should not wait till the dying minute before evacuating Nigerians from South Africa.

Aruna said it was time for government not to only condemn the attacks but take a firm stand by summoning South Africa’s high commissioner and if possible cut diplomatic ties with that country.

“Government should take extra-diplomatic measures in dealing with the latest deadly assaults because if nothing drastic is done it will become a regular occurrence.

“This is the time to place South Africa where it belongs,’’ he said.

He said that the last time the xenophobic attack happened nothing was done, no action was taken and no arrest was made and that was why South Africans repeated the attacks.

Aruna said it was so unfortunate that during the attacks the South African Government refused to take up its responsibility of securing Nigerians and their properties.

“The government of South Africa is criminally quiet and they say silence is consent, and their police are folding their hands while they are killing Nigerians, this is conspiracy, enough is enough,’’ he said.

He said the peaceful rally would continue and spread across the country.
Protesters in South Africa rally against immigration.