69 arrested during violent anti-immigrant protest in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

CAPE TOWN, July 18 — South African police said on Saturday that 69 people were arrested after an anti-immigrant protest turned violent in the Eastern Cape Province, with at least 23 foreign-owned spaza shops looted during the unrest.

In a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Eastern Cape said the situation in Jeffreys Bay and the broader Kouga region remained calm on Saturday following Thursday’s violent protests, adding that foreign-owned spaza shops in the area were still closed as a precautionary measure.