South Africa sends in army to tackle xenophobic attacks

The South African government has deployed the army to act as deterrent in volatile hotspots in Johannesburg and Durban after a series of xenophobic violence which killed at least seven people, displaced more than 5,000.

The xenophobic outbreak is the worst since 2008, when 62 people were killed in Alexandra and other Johannesburg townships. The army was deployed to restore order on that occasion, and has also been used against striking workers in 2012 and last year.