Africa-Press – Tanzania. THERE have been no reports of injured or arrested Tanzanians in South Africa, as the violence continues to ravage the continent’s third largest economy.
The Tanzania High Commissioner to South Africa, Major General (Rtd) Gaudence Milanzi said they were yet to receive any reports of Tanzanians getting embroiled in the clashes, as death toll mounts amid looting.
The envoy however insisted that his office was keeping tabs with what was happening on the ground as death toll hits 72 as violence continues across the country following the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma.
“As advised by the South African government, we urge Tanzanians living here to remain calm and shun any sort of violence, demonstrations and looting that the country is grappling with,” said the envoy through a statement availed to the Media by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Co-operation, yesterday.
There is estimated to be around 22,000 Tanzanians living and working in major cities and small towns in KwaZulu- Natal and Gauteng provinces, which are the epicenters of the clashes.
KwaZulu –Natal is also the hometown of the embattled leader.
South Africa has for the past week been facing its worst unrest in decades as protests over the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma have led to spiralling violence and looting.
Violent riots and looting broke out last Thursday in the eastern province of KwaZulu- Natal, over Zuma’s imprisonment.
The military has since been deployed to help police overstretched since the unrest began last week. South African police said in a statement they had identified 12 people suspected of provoking the riots, and that a total of 1,234 people had been arrested.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called it some of the worst violence witnessed in South Africa since the 1990s, before the end of apartheid, with fires started, highways blocked and businesses and warehouses looted in major cities and small towns in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces.
