The numbers of lives lost rise to 23!!

Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals living in the Johannesburg suburbs of Hillbrow, Yeoville, Berea and Braamfontein have joined forces to repel attacks by marauding locals. The foreign nationals have warned that if they become the next targets of the current wave of xenophobic attacks, they will retaliate. In Hillbrow on Sunday, hundreds of people from Nigeria, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi united in a show of solidarity with victims of the violence. Collectively they managed to thwart efforts of South African criminals in Hillbrow on Sunday, who tried to loot their shops, internet cafes and other personal belongings, under the guise of xenophobic violence.

“This is no longer an issue of folding hands and doing nothing when our relatives are being butchered and maimed,” said Okeke Okuchukwu, a Nigerian citizen in Yeoville.

South African President Thabo Mbeki on Monday reiterated his call for an immediate end to attacks on foreign nationals.

"Citizens from other countries on the African continent and beyond are as human as we are and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity," the president said. "We dehumanise ourselves the moment we start thinking of another person as less human than we are simply because they come from another country."

Tshedi Mholo, the lead singer from Afropop group Malaika, radio hotshot Sibusiso ‘DJ Sbu’ Leope and kwaito star Doc Shebeleza were among a host of celebrities marching through the streets of Johannesburg to express their outrage yesterday. DJ Sbu said: "We must say no to the killings. The violence is ridiculous.”

This really should stopped before the numbers keep rising and more lives are ended! I still wait to hear what the Zim politicians have to say. Mr President and Mr Tsvangirai can you please say something!! Lets pray that it stops, and soon!!