Johannesburg mayor calls for military deployment to stop violence

The Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba on Tuesday called on the South African army to be deployed in the city to stop the looting and burning on shops.

"I am appealing to the national government to please release the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to provide backup to the police and municipal police. We need to prioritize people's safety first," said Mashaba.

Mashaba said after he visited the affected areas in the city. "Based on the oversight visit... we need SANDF to be brought in to stabilize the situation, deploy the best investigators and intelligence to hunt down criminals behind this unacceptable action."

The Gauteng province premier David Makhura also toured the townships to inspect the damage caused by the looters. He said they will consider calling the army to quell the violence.

Makhura said, "I will not hesitate to ask for further reinforcement from the SANDF, should the police need such support. Several meetings will also be held with various stakeholders to calm down the situation across Gauteng."

The South African army was recently deployed in Cape Town to combat the gang violence.

Some people have been looting and burning shops owned by foreigners in various Johannesburg townships since Sunday. They accuse foreigners of stealing opportunities and jobs meant for locals, selling counterfeit goods and committing crimes. Some shops owned by the South Africans were also broken into and looted.

Some buses were suspended to ensure that they are not attacked and burnt. Some companies and shops including banks remained closed on Tuesday.