Zambia urges truck drivers to 'avoid travelling to South Africa'

Zambia's transport ministry has said that truck drivers should "avoid travelling to South Africa until the security situation improves".

The statement refers to reported attacks on foreign lorry drivers. The South African IOL news site says that there have been "numerous incidents" of vehicles being looted.

But South Africa's police minister, Bheki Cele, said on Monday that "criminality rather than xenophobia" was to blame for the "senseless violence".

"[Xenophobia] is used as an excuse," he told reporters after visiting Johannesburg's Central Business District, where much of the unrest has been taking place. "Nothing... has sparked any form of conflict between the South Africans and foreign nationals."