A member of the South African police walks past a police car after it was damaged by students at Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Last year students demanding free education marched on Zuma's offices in the capital Pretoria, prompting him to freeze fee increases. However last week the government announced fee hikes of up to eight percent, leading to the disruption of classes at most universities. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
The South African police on Friday announced that they had arrested 497 suspects who have been looting shops in Gauteng province.
The police said they were on high alert monitoring the situation, adding that some people started looting shops since Sunday and have continued till date.
Mathapelo Peters, police spokesperson, said 74 persons were arrested in Katlehong on Thursday, bringing the total number of arrests since violence erupted in Johannesburg to 497.
She said the situation in Katlehong and other areas in the province remains calm as the number of incidents continue to decline.
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Peters said while 11 people were killed during this period, only seven deaths have been directly linked to the incidents of violence and the police will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding each death.
Elias Mawela, Gauteng provincial commissioner, called on the people to respect the law.
He warned the people to stop spreading fake news on the social media.
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“We must work together to make sure that no one gets to undermine the authority of the State and together, condemn the violence and criminality towards ensuring the safety of everyone in the Province,” he said.
South Africa has come under fire over the latest xenophobic attack on its soil.
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