Army stands by to help quell violence
Bathandwa Mbola
22 May 2008
President Thabo Mbeki has given the go-ahead to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to help the police quell the ongoing attacks on foreign nationals that have left at least 40 dead and thousands others displaced in Gauteng province.
Presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga told BuaNews on Thursday that the army would not replace the police, but would be used as back-up in tackling mob action.
While most parts of Gauteng were relatively calm overnight on Wednesday, the attacks have begun to spread to other parts of the country, with incidents reported in Durban and some townships in Mpumalanga province.
Mpumalanga police said that shack-burning and looting targeting foreign nationals began on Tuesday, while KwaZulu-Natal, police were monitoring Durban's Dalton Road area after an attack on a Nigerian-owned tavern.
Foreign nationals in both these areas have since taken refuge at police stations.
Since the start of the attacks last week, 42 people have been confirmed killed, over 16 000 displaced and 400 arrested.
Source: BuaNews
