Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa

many South African nationals have taken the law into their hands and exacted brutal justice on Nigerians and some other foreign nationals on the flimsiest of evidence. At the last count, some 34 shops belonging to immigrants were looted in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital.
“Homes and shops of Nigerians were targeted and looted in the events of past few days,” said Emeka Ezinteje Collins, spokesman of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA). Claiming to be after drug cartels and prostitution, the attacks in Pretoria West came few weeks after some South Africans in Rosetenville, a suburb in Johannesburg, reportedly torched cars and houses belonging to Nigerians and other immigrants.
Nigeria's presidency on Monday called the South African government to step in to stop what it said were "xenophobic attacks" following recent reports of violence against Nigerians and other nationals in the capital, Pretoria.
He added: "Our people and other foreigners are apparently living in fear of the unknown as the hoodlums have promised" more attacks from Friday, when a group called the "Mamelodi concerned residents" is reportedly planning to hold a march against foreign nationals.
NUSA also said that some of its members had received threatening phone calls asking for payment to protect their houses and businesses.
"We have also received reports from our members of receiving threatening anonymous calls requesting that money be paid to avert destruction of their properties," Collins said.
"We implore the South African and Nigerian authorities to intervene early and save the situation before it spills out of hand." 
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Nigerian president's adviser on foreign affairs and the diaspora, said on Monday the South African government must take "decisive and definitive measures to protect Nigerians and other African nationals" within its borders.
She also called on the African Union to weigh in on the violence, adding: "Further attacks without any reprimand may have dire consequences".
Dabiri-Erewa said there was a need for the continental body to "intervene urgently", claiming that in the last two years "about 116" Nigerians had been killed, including 20 last year.
"This is unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria."
There was no independent verification of the claimed number of deaths.
According to NUSA, there are about 800,000 Nigerians in South Africa, many of them living in Johannesburg.
The community was hit badly by the wave of xenophobic violence that hit the country in April 2015, but South African police said only seven Nigerians died.
An independent watchdog has said 640 people died from police brutality or in custody in South Africa.
In April 2015, Nigeria recalled its top diplomat in South Africa to discuss the anti-immigrant attacks that sent hundreds of foreigners fleeing to safety camps, as authorities sent in soldiers to quell unrest in Johannesburg and Durban.