#XenophobiaSA: South Africa shops looted despite Zuma call for peace

Foreign-owned shops in South Africa have been attacked and looted in eastern Johannesburg, the latest in a series of xenophobic attacks.

Police said about 200 foreigners took refuge at a police station, and 12 people were arrested over the attacks.


The violence comes despite Thursday's rally against xenophobia in the coastal city of Durban, and condemnation from President Jacob Zuma.

At least five people have died in anti-foreigner attacks in recent weeks.Many jobless South Africans accuse foreigners of taking jobs in a country where the unemployment rate is 24%.

A crowd began looting foreign-owned shops in east Johannesburg on Thursday night, and a car, and a building believed to house foreigners, were set on fire.

Eyewitness Raphael Nkomo told the BBC: "A group of men were dropped from a minibus. All of them were armed with [knives]. They started chasing people, throwing stones at them, hitting them... what I saw was very, very terrifying."

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the looters. Correspondents say no serious injuries have been reported.