South African police have arrested 16 people following violent unrest, looting, and property destruction linked to an alleged anti-immigration march in the town of Northam, in the northeastern Limpopo province.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said a joint operation involving police and other law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of 16 suspects, aged between 21 and 45, on charges of public violence.
According to police, the incident unfolded on Friday while officers were conducting a community awareness campaign. A group of individuals allegedly attacked participants, assaulted three community members, and damaged two police vehicles as well as another vehicle belonging to a foreign trader.
The suspects then reportedly targeted a foreign-owned spaza shop, looting groceries and other items, including a refrigerator, before setting the owner's vehicle on fire.
The arrests come amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa, where xenophobic tensions escalated sharply on June 30 after thousands of people took to the streets following a deadline set by protest organizers for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
South Africa's government says 72,906 people have left the country over the past two months amid the mounting social pressure. However, Zimbabwean authorities have reported receiving more than 115,000 repatriated nationals during the same period.
In addition to Zimbabwe, countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ghana, and Mozambique have also repatriated thousands of their citizens from South Africa in recent weeks.
Xenophobic violence has long been a recurring challenge in South Africa, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities.
The country's deadliest outbreak occurred in 2008, when more than 60 people were killed. More recently, a wave of anti-foreigner violence in late 2019 claimed the lives of at least 18 foreign nationals.
