South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that criminality would not be condoned in the country following the death of a Zimbabwean national as police arrested 54 people in the troubled Johannesburg township of Diepsloot.
Ramaphosa was responding to reports of the killing of a Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi in the Soweto township.
During a door-to-door search for undocumented foreigners Wednesday night, Nyathi tried to run away from a mob which chased and allegedly killed him by stoning and setting him alight.
Neighbours helped the police to identify him as Nyathi, aged 43, who died at the hands of the mob in Diepsloot.
Nyathi’s unnamed wife has also fled from her home, fearing for her life. Her whereabouts are unknown, the police said.
“We will not condone any form of criminality which results in the death of one. It is not acceptable, and we will take action to deal with it,” Ramaphosa said.
He said he had dispatched Police Minister Bheki Cele to calm the situation following days of violence, with locals accusing foreign nationals of being behind escalating crime in the area.
NM/jn/APA