More incidents of looting of foreign-owned shops in Atteridgeville

Police in Atteridgville in Pretoria West have confirmed more incidents of looting of foreign-owned shops on Tuesday afternoon.

Captain Bongi Msimango said a "mob" looted foreign owned spaza shops in Lotus Gardens and in Mshongo in Atteridgeville.

"It seems they are trying to mobilise. At this moment‚ we suspect it is criminals trying to take advantage of the situation‚" he said.

• Police watch spaza shops after Pretoria lootingsPolice are monitoring foreign-owned spaza shops in Atteridgeville and Lotus Gardens‚ Pretoria‚ after several were looted on Monday evening.

Msimango said police interrupted the mob while attempting to break into stores on two separate occasions‚ but the people fled when police arrived.

Msimango said no criminal cases had been opened as yet.

This follows the looting of shops in the area on Monday night and two homes being burned down on Saturday.

The latest flare up comes in the wake of a planned march against foreigners this coming Friday by a group known as the Mamelodi Concerned Residents.

• SA government must do more to stop xenophobic violence before it flares up: Catholic ChurchThe Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Justice and Peace Commission has called for calm and restraint amid fears that the planned march against foreign presence in Pretoria on Friday could spark xenophobic attacks.

One of the organisers said on Tuesday that they didn't encourage violence or looting.

"We urge everyone that this is a peaceful march. If you are not intending on being peaceful‚ please do not come‚" said Makgoka Lekganyane‚ one of the organisers.

Lekganyane said the group was against xenophobia‚ looting‚ and attacks against any person.

"That is not how objections are raised‚" he said.