Men's hostels in Johannesburg housing mainly
South Africans were searched for weapons and 11
arrests were made.
The army was ordered to deploy to volatile areas
to stop further attacks that began about three
weeks ago.
At least seven people have been killed and 5,000
have been left homeless since the xenophobic
violence began.
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The army was also deployed during similar
violence in 2008, when at least 63 people were
killed.
The first deployments were to Alexandra, a poor
township north of Johannesburg, where
Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole was killed at the
weekend.
Floor by floor searches
The hostels are communal areas still owned by
the government that used to house mine
labourers during the days of white-minority rule.
The BBC's Nomsa Maseko, who witnessed one
raid in Johannesburg's Jeppestown, says they are
often the target of raids when the police are
looking for firearms during a crackdown on crime.
No weapons were found but arrests were
made for drug possession
No weapons were found during the raids
overnight, and it is believed there may have been
a tip-off, she says.
Police say 11 arrests were made for possession
of marijuana and suspected stolen items.
A helicopter hovered above one hostel in
Jeppestown, as inside police moved from floor to
floor conducting searches where the residents
were made to lie face down in the corridors, the
AFP news agency reports.
On the streets of the neighbourhood, soldiers
stood in groups of about six, positioned within a
few metres of each other, it says.
Troops have also been despatched to KwaZulu-
Natal province, where the unrest began following
remarks by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
The powerful monarch has denied fuelling the
xenophobic attacks, saying at a rally on Monday:
"If it were true that I said foreigners must go, this
country would be up in flames."
More than 900 people have been voluntarily
repatriated to their home countries since the
violence broke out, officials say.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said
the troops were being sent in "as the last resort.
The army will serve as a deterrent".
With the unemployment rate at around 25%, many
South Africans accuse foreign nationals of taking
jobs from locals.
Official data suggests there are about two million
foreign nationals in South Africa, but some
estimates put the number much higher.



http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32411223