South Africans in Johannesburg March against Xenophobia

Over 30,000 people have gone on a protest in South Africa’s main city, Johannesburg, to demand an end to a recent wave of xenophobic attacks.

Both citizens and immigrants are taking part, with placards saying “Africa Unite” and “Welcome foreigners”.

An anti-xenophobic protest is also taking place in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth.

South Africa’s army was deployed to flashpoints on Monday to prevent further violence.

At least seven people have been killed, 5,000 left homeless and many foreign-owned shops looted since the attacks started about three weeks ago.

“We will defeat xenophobia like we defeated apartheid,” the premier of South Africa’s Gauteng province, David Makhura, told the crowd in Johannesburg.

Gauteng is the economic heartland of South Africa and includes Johannesburg.

Many unemployed South Africans accuse foreigners of taking their jobs.

South Africa has an official unemployment rate of around 25%.