TELL Magazine

South Africa is set to hold a huge protest march against xenophobic attacks in Durban following a surge of attacks on foreigners.

Organizers of the march said about 10,000 people were expected in the city’s biggest show of solidarity with foreigners.

At least five people have been killed and foreign-owned shops looted in attacks in recent weeks.

Many jobless South Africans accuse foreigners of taking their jobs in a country where the official unemployment rate is 24 per cent.

Tens of thousands of foreigners, mostly from other African states and Asia, have moved to South Africa since white-minority rule ended in 1994.

At least 62 people died in xenophobic attacks that swept through South Africa in 2008.

Police spokesman, Thulani Zwane, said a strong contingent of policemen would be deployed at the march, and anyone who try to disrupt it would be “dealt with.”