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Arrests have been made in South Africa as anti-immigrant violence spreads to parts of Johannesburg’s commercial heart. In Gauteng province, of which Johannesburg is the capital city, police arrested 18 people after overnight street battles, Major-General Phumzo Gela, deputy police commissioner, said yesterday afternoon.

Earlier police fired rubber-coated steel bullets into a crowd of South Africans in Johannesburg’s Jeppestown area. A crowd of South Africans carrying hammers and axes gathered near the city centre, chanting “Foreigners must leave”.

Groups of South Africans in Jeppestown and Cleveland blocked roads with rocks and burning tyres and then ordered foreigners to leave the country, police said. Jeppestown and Cleveland are neighbourhoods adjoining the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD).

A number of shops in the CBD were reported to have been looted and vandalised, further escalating tensions between foreigners and South Africans in Johannesburg. Police said the suspects were trying to break into shops owned by foreigners.

Colonel Dlamini, police spokesperson, said calm had been restored, but refused to reveal whether police had received credible reports of further threats of violence against foreigners in the city. Violence targeting immigrants started earlier in April in the port city of Durban, claiming the lives of six people so far.

Rumours of imminent attacks on foreigners have continued to affect foreign nationals in Johannesburg.

Ahmed Fifa, a 35-year-old shop owner in the Ramaphosa settlement east of Johannesburg, said foreign nationals were warned by locals to vacate the area on Thursday night.

“One of the community leaders came to us and told us to move all our stuff and save our lives,” he said.

“We’re currently in downtown Johannesburg’s Jeppestown area where locals and foreign nationals have been involved in sporadic clashes.

People had gathered earlier in the morning and were dispersed by police, but they have returned to the area.

During the early hours of yesterday morning, there were stone fights: people were burning cars and there were reports that foreigner-owned shops had been burgled as well.

‘‘Police are currently trying to disperse the crowd but both groups are determined and refuse to stand down.

‘‘There are about 200 people on either side and both sides are refusing to disperse. The situation is tense, but appears to be contained to this area of Jeppestown only.

‘‘Jeppestown has a high concentration of foreign nationals from various countries. I’m currently witnessing mainly Nigerian and Congolese nationals.

‘‘They say that they will not disperse as the government needs to do more to resolve the situation.

Meanwhile, we are getting reports that the Department of International Relations and Cooperation is holding a press conference where it has apologised to the diplomatic corps, and where it has stated that the spate of violence, some of it fuelled by criminal elements, is by no means a reflection of the broader country.”

Meanwhile, an injured Malawian man was allegedly denied medical care at the RK Khan Hospital in Durban last week. DA MPL Dr Rishigen Viranna alleged the Malawian man was turned away by the hospital’s nursing staff despite his injuries at the hands of locals.

The Department of Health said patients are given priority according to their medical condition. It said it cannot give special attention or discriminate in favour of or against any patients, regardless of their nationality.

The DA statement said the man, from the Bottlebrush informal settlement, managed to escape his attackers and was taken by friends to RK Khan Hospital.

It is alleged that on arrival at around midnight the man was denied access to treatment by nursing staff who said, “There isn’t enough medication in the hospital to be given to foreigners.”

He was then taken to the Chatsworth Transit Camp, Westcliff, where he stayed in a tent for two days. In a related incident, South Africa should expect repercussions from other countries over the former apartheid state’s lacklustre approach in handling xenophobic attacks, Malawi government officials have warned. The latest flare up of xenophobia has claimed many lives.

Minister of Information, Kondwani Nankhumwa, said in Blantyre Wednesday that government was discussing with the African Union (AU) and other Sadc countries over joint measures against the South African government.

“Our message to the government of South Africa is clear: Protect other nationals or expect trade repercussions as we can’t continue discussing regional trade integration with a country where our citizens and of our trade partners are being attacked,” said Nankhumwa.

Unconfirmed reports claim that in addition to repatriating the country’s nationals, president Peter Mutharika has written Jacob Zuma indicating that Malawi will not hesitate in joining other African countries over suggestions to recall high commissioners to South Africa and cut off any trade ties with the country should the attacks continue. Mutharika has reportedly cut short his US trip in order to travel to South Africa to engage Zuma on the matter before making a conclusive decision.

l Xenophobic violence has broken out in Mozambique, forcing South Africans to leave the neighbouring country in a hurry, while trucks exporting goods have been grounded. Truck driver John Mashiloane, who works for Ngululu Carriers said that he was forced to return to South Africa after the truck he was driving was stoned a short distance from the border town of Ressano Garcia.

“I’m back in South Africa, we have parked our trucks in Komatipoort. When we went into Mozambique in the morning, we saw that traffic was clear and thought it was fine, but just 4km into Mozambique near the Muamba Toll Gate, we found a mob of about 300 people in bakkies who started pelting our trucks with stones and telling us that we are killing their brothers and sisters so we deserve to die too,” said Mashiloane.

Ngululu’s operational manager, Jay Luvhani, said that their trucking business had come to a standstill.

“Our employees are hiding at various police stations. We had to call back our drivers who were just getting into Mozambique. Some trucks have been pelted with stones, but there’s not much damage; we just fear for their lives.

“In the early hours of the day, our drivers in the harbour were attacked and police had to intervene and they have since secured our trucks. We are looking forward to the situation being calm. But as we speak, it’s not business as usual in Mozambique due to the retaliation of the Mozambicans over the xenophobic attacks in South Africa,” Luvhani said. – AP