South Africa Police Arrest Suspects of Xenophobic Violence

Security agencies have increased police presence on the ground after at least six deaths in anti-immigrant violence this week.

Government ministers say the full might of the law will be brought to bear on alleged criminals involved in these attacks.

The attacks started in Durban, a port city on South Africa's east coast, but spread to the economic hub of Johannesburg.

There are allegations that social media is being used to send threatening text messages to incite violence.

"In our own laws the act of incitement is a criminal offense because, in as much as people have rights, who have these technologies, but there are responsibilities, there are limits. Because through those messages they have incited violence. They have actually pushed other people to leave their own comfort zones, their homes. Some of the people that you see right now out there, in those temporary shelters are the people that got actually scared," said David Mahlobo, Minister of State Security of South Africa.

Migrants in the African country were scared by the xenophobic incidents.

"They told us that they are going to kill us or make us feel bad to be here because they don't want us here because we are taking their businesses, we are taking their jobs, everything," said a Lesotho national.

Several hundred foreigners have asked to be repatriated, and the home affairs department is working with embassy staff to make this happen.

"The immigration officers at the ports of entry are ready to deal with volumes of the people that are coming for voluntary repatriation. We will ensure that everybody who requested to be voluntarily repatriated is repatriated, but secondly that we take their biometric details so that we know who they are," said Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Home Affairs of South Africa.

However, some immigrants feel reluctant to leave their new lives in the country.

"I won't go back to Zimbabwe because I'm married here in South Africa, I've got children and I've got a home in Petersburg (Polokwane). So my plans are here in South Africa. I won't separate my children with their father and their family," said a Zimbabwean national.