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South Africa deploys army to subdue xenophobic violence

By Andrew V. Pestano

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 21 (UPI) -- The South African Army has been deployed in several areas, including the largest city Johannesburg, to subdue recent anti-immigrant and xenophobic violence.

At least seven people died and thousands have been displaced when violence first broke out earlier this month. More than 300 suspects have been arrested in connection to the violence.

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The attackers accuse immigrants of taking jobs away from natural citizens of South Africa, which has an unemployment rate of 24 percent.

Soldiers will be deployed to a township in Johannesburg and to areas in the KwaZulu-Natal province, according to Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula

"It's not too late at all, precisely because we are not a military state," Mapisa-Nqakulasaid, when asked about the timing of the decision.

"This is just the right time. None of the South African people can accuse of us of having jumped in without analysing the situation, starting to take over from the police... none of the South Africans can do that," she said.

Hundreds of Zimbabwean nationals have fled the attacks in South Africa. More than 400 people crossed back into Zimbabwe by late Monday.

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"I've been in South Africa for two years. We rented a 10-room house. Seven rooms had foreigners, the other three had South Africans who were Zulu," Peter Jongwe, who fled because of threats, told Al-Jazeera. "The Zulus said we must leave and they started breaking down our doors and stealing our things. I hid with my wife under the bed and thank God we escaped with our lives."

Estimates put the number of immigrants in the country between two million and five million, or roughly 4 percent of the population. Thousands have fled their homes for makeshift camps, while neighboring countries Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique announced plans to evacuate areas where its citizens are being attacked.

Critics accused Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, an ally of South African President Jacob Zuma, of exacerbating the situation by saying immigrants should "go back to their countries." Zwelithini argued his words were taken out of context.

Fred Lambert contributed to this report.

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