Foreigners in SA panic as police besiege Hillbrow

Reports coming from South Africa's notorious Hilbrow  suburb indicate that there was massive inflow of police cars from all over Gauteng that were descending at the local police station on Tuesday afternoon raising fears that the state might be intensifying its crackdown on illegal immigrants.

An eyewitness who spoke to this reporter said he saw heavy police presence at Hilbrow police station which has not been seen in the recent past.

At the time of writing no operation had been unleashed yet.

Last week, the government implemented a joint crackdown at the CBD which saw 506 illegal immigrants arrested while Israeli made rifles were unearthed from some offices.

In Sandto, the Operation which was dubbed Okae Molao resulted in the arrests of more than 280 people.

The operation took place in the Sandton and Randburg policing precincts and saw officers travelling to Woodmead, Bryanston and the Randburg Central Business District which are crime hotspots.

Meanwhile South Africa's International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor says xenophobia has no place in South Africa.

Pandor made the statement while speaking to the press following a series of police operations in the Johannesburg CBD last week. The busts drew criticism in some circles for using excessive force.

She's briefed the media, alongside Police Minister Bheki Cele, after several raids in the Johannesburg CBD for counterfeit goods.