S.Africa xenophobic assaults retaliated in Nigeria

Nigerian Police in Lagos. PHOTO | AFP

South Africa hit by demonstrations and attacks on foreign businesses. The people from S.Africans citing government reflection on local businesses.

Kenyans who are living in South Africa are among victims of looting and physical attacks in the ongoing xenophobic attacks. 

Kenyan High Commissioner to South Africa Jean Kamau on Wednesday confirmed that several Kenyans had been attacked in Gauteng Province. 

Protestors burned tires and hurled rocks outside a mall in Abuja where a branch of the Shoprite supermarket is located, before being fended off by a dozen police. Some of the S.African businesses were burnt down in Lagos. 

"We must avenge the death of our citizens in South Africa," said one of the demonstrators, Joseph Tasha. 

Security was beefed up around South African businesses across Nigerian Capital following a state of retaliation attacks, police said. Stores operated by Shoprite, the telecoms giant MTN and other South African firms suffered looting and vandalism in several Nigerian cities.

Though the S.African government has remained silent on the matter, SADC member countries officials have called out on their respective governments to look into the matter as it may spread to other countries in the region soon.