The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, has dismissed claims that xenophobia was involved in recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

South African mobs launched attacks on foreigners, including Nigerians, and looted and burnt their places of business in suburbs of Johannesburg and surrounding areas on Sunday, September 1, 2019, and Monday, September 2.

Three people were reported to have been killed in a fire started by a mob on an abandoned building in the Jeppestown area of Johannesburg.

While speaking at a media briefing in Abuja alongside Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, on Tuesday, September 3, Moroe said the 'sporadic acts of violence' also affected South African-owned businesses, like Shoprite, which were also looted.

He condemned the violent attacks and said the South African government is welcoming of everyone regardless of race, creed, and gender.

He said a number of propositions were made during his lengthy discussion with the Nigerian government.

"We are going to be conveying the message of the Nigerian Government to our government to ensure that we find logical conclusions to this problem on ground," Moroe said.

Moroe also cautioned Nigerians against sharing viral videos, some of which are old and misleading, to prevent escalating the situation.

5 killed in South African attacks

Nigerians have battled xenophobic attacks in South Africa for years, with at least 127 believed to have been killed over the past three years.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) disclosed on Tuesday that five people were killed in the recent spate of violence, although their nationalities were not revealed.

A total of 189 arrests have also been effected since Sunday for criminal acts including public violence, malicious damage to property, and theft. 

The Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, assured members of the public that no unlawful activities will be tolerated.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the attacks and called for unity. 

"The people of our country want to live in harmony; whatever concerns or grievances we may have, we need to handle them in a democratic way. 

"There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries," he said.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a special envoy to South Africa to express his displeasure with the fresh attacks.