Johannesburg - A man was shot dead and another wounded following attacks on foreign-owned shops on Johannesburg's West Rand, Gauteng police said on Friday.
A 61-year-old bystander died after a foreign national allegedly fired at a crowd stoning his shop in Swaneville on Thursday night.
Earlier on Thursday, in Tshepisong, a man trying to break into a spaza shop belonging to a foreign national was wounded, Warrant Officer Solomon Sibiya said.
“It is alleged that a group of youth attacked a spaza shop and started to break in. They allegedly tried to force open the garage roller door whilst the shop owner was inside,” he said.
“As soon as they managed to open the roller door, the owner came out with a firearm in his hand. He then fired shots directed at the crowd.”
The group scattered. Sibiya said one of them was wounded in the upper body. He was taken to hospital in a stable condition. Sibiya was unable to provide the injured man's age.
“The foreign national... was arrested and detained at Kagiso police station. The firearm used was also confiscated.”
In Swaneville, a 61-year-old man was shot and killed as a group of people throwing stones at a foreign-owned shop. Sibiya said police were alerted around 11.30pm.
“A man who alleged that he was with the deceased during the shooting told the police that they were playing snooker at a nearby tavern when they heard noise outside,” said Sibiya.
“They then went out to investigate and that is when they noticed members of the community stoning the shop. During the stoning the shopowner allegedly fired shots through the window in the direction of the crowd.”
The man was shot in the chest and died on arrival at hospital. No arrests had been made and a murder case was opened.
It was unclear if the looting was related to the unrest in Soweto.
Looting of foreign-owned shops in Soweto began on Monday when a Somalian man shot dead a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly part of a group trying to break into his store.
Gauteng police commissioner Lt-General Lesetja Mothiba said the looting had since spread to the Diepsloot, in the north of Johannesburg, and Kagiso, on the West Rand.
Sapa