42 killed xenophobic riots in South Africa

The xenophobic riots in South Africa, which has claimed 42 lives, including an Indian, have shown no signs of abating despite government's decision to deploy army to crush the violence against immigrants.
    
Durban police have reported further overnight violence in which locals attacked about 100 Zimbabweans and Mozambicans in Welbedacht area.
    
A group of Malawians were also attacked in another informal settlement in an area called Kenville.
   
The immigrants fled to local police stations and they were taking refuge in community halls.
    
A local ANC member in Chatsworth, Visvin Reddy, said they were providing temporary accommodation and food for those who have sought refuge at the police station.
   
"The police and the municipality are assisting us. We're also interacting with other law enforcement agencies. At the moment, we're providing food and blankets for the foreigners," Reddy said.
    
There were also unconfirmed reports of alleged xenophobic attacks in the town of Brits, west of Pretoria, and at Secunda in the province of Mpumalanga.
    
Johannesburg police said for the first time since the violence broke out on May 11 the situation was fairly calm in all the affected areas.
     
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Thursday, that the deployment of the army was not a permanent solution. Manuel said as a long-term solution, the government would have to create more employment opportunities and provide education for the people.

"I think the end is much more important than the means. We have to ensure that we can communicate with people because its not a military solution we are looking for. It is about changing the daily lives of people and creating a sense of opportunity and participation.
    
"I think too many people feel alienated or excluded and there are some proposals to create employment. The government must think about that because across the world unemployment is one of the biggest challenges that confronts every nation."
   
In another development, police have reported that about 9,000 Mozambique nationals have crossed the border from South Africa.
    
The Mozambicans say they had lost most of their possessions in the xenophobic attacks.
    
Police spokesperson in Johannesburg, Govindsamy Marimuthu, said today that the death toll now stands at 42 and nearly 16,000 displaced.
   
Marimuthu added that police arrested hundreds of people in connection with the violence.