May 01, 2015 Issue

A woman covered in soot gestures towards foreigners outside a hostel in the Jeppestown area of Johannesburg, as xenophobic violence breaks out in cities across the country. A speech last month by the Zulu king, Goodwill Zweelithini, during which he described immigrants as “lice”, has been blamed for vicious attacks on foreign nationals, who make up 10% of South Africa’s population. President Jacob Zuma has pledged to set up dedicated courts to try those arrested.