JOHANNESBURG (AP) South Africans on Wednesday expressed shock over the murder of two toddlers whose bodies were found in a township toilet, prompting angry protests from residents who looted shops and burned tires in the street.
Police were holding several people for questioning about the deaths of the girls, who were two and three years old and were discovered Tuesday in the Diepsloot area north of Johannesburg after being reported missing on the weekend.
In a separate incident, South African media reported that two other toddlers were found dead in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg. Police suspect they were poisoned.
The killings in Diepsloot fueled angry accusations from residents that police were failing to provide security. Local media said some immigrant-owned shops were attacked, exposing tensions between local community members and residents from other African countries in poor areas of South Africa where there are few opportunities.
Nathi Mthethwa, South Africa's minister of police, urged communities to help police solve crimes such as the killing of the children, saying the government would not tolerate lawlessness in the street.
