SA looting of foreign-owned shops, death toll rises

Johannesburg - SA police on Tuesday put the official death toll during looting of foreign-owned shops across Gauteng at five.

This is despite seven people being killed in violence involving foreign nationals.

"It is five," police spokesperson Solomon Makgale said.

He said two deaths were not related to looting of foreign-owned shops.

The list of those killed is:

- Siphiwe Mahori, 14, was shot dead in Snake Park (confirmed by the police);

- Nhlanhla Monareng, 19, was shot and killed in Naledi (confirmed by the police);

- A 61-year-old bystander was shot and killed in Swaneville, on Gauteng's West Rand, when a foreign-owned shop was being stoned;

- A baby was trampled by looters in Kagiso (confirmed by police);

- Two suspected looters killed in Langlaagte (confirmed by police) and;

- Malawian shopkeeper Dan Mokwena, 74, was attacked and killed as he slept.

Makgale said the Swaneville bystander was not added to the police's death toll as he was not involved in looting.

He was killed after a foreign national allegedly fired at a crowd stoning his shop on Thursday night. He was in a tavern with a friend when they heard noises outside and went to investigate.

This was when he was shot.

Makgale said Mokwena's death was not linked to looting.

The Star reported that he was attacked and killed as he slept in his shop in Soweto in the early hours of Wednesday.