SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Deports Over 400 Mozambicans

More than 400 Mozambicans have been deported from South Africa, after authorities launched a nationwide operation targeting illegal immigrants in the country, officials said.



Oldemiro Baloi, Mozambique's foreign and cooperation minister, said his government was surprised by the deportations.

"We expected to hold talks with the South Africans to discuss the problem, but we just saw people being arrested," Baloi said.

The deportations come weeks after anti-foreigner attacks in South Africa left at least eight people dead, including at least one Mozambican national.

The official death toll is seven with South Africans authorities claiming the murder of one Mozambican man was a case of criminality and not xenophobia-related.