Johannesburg - A man was shot dead and another injured in attacks on foreigners in the South African township of Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, bringing the death toll to three after two days of violence, local media reported Tuesday.

The latest death on Monday evening followed the killing of two people on Sunday when mobs went on a rampage targeting foreigners who residents say are not welcome in the country, reported the South African Press Agency Tuesday.

More than 500 police have been called in to contain the violence and have arrested 39 South Africans in Alexandra township.

"They threw stones at these people, shot at them, whipped some of them with sjamboks and robbed them," said a police spokesman. "They say the foreigners rob them on the streets"

The South Africans are accusing migrants, primarily from Malawi, Mozambique or Zimbabwe, of being responsible for the escalating crime rate in the area.

According to some estimates up to 3 million Zimbabweans have fled the chaos in their home country to South Africa. In April there were violent incidents in Pretoria and in Cape Town, which also took several lives. (dpa)