Eastern Cape police have been placed on high alert following the outbreak of xenophobic violence in Kwazulu Natal.
The Eastern Cape has not been immune to xenophobic violence with attacks on Somali and other foreign national having taken place in Uitenhage and other parts of Nelson Mandela Bay over the past few years.
Eastern Cape provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Marinda Mills, says the SA Police Service in the Eastern Cape has noted the violence in KNZ with great concern.
"The provincial commissioner has alerted all station commanders in the province to be on the look-out, to conduct additional patrols to ensure that the property and the lives of all the people living in the Eastern Cape is protected," Mills said.
"So yes, there is an alert out by the South African Police Service to our members to ensure that we are sharp and ready to deal with this swiftly," Mills added.
Meanwhile, more than 800 police officers have been deployed in and around Durban where xenophobic violence has left at least five people dead since the weekend.
"If the threat requires more [police officers], we will respond. We still have the capacity to respond and we will respond as needed," national police commissioner Riah Phiyega told reporters in Parliament.
She said the police were working with national and provincial government departments to return stability to KwaZulu-Natal.
Asked if the police were making progress, she replied: "I think we are. We've intervened in Isipingo, to Chatsworth, to all other areas, to the city and this thing is migrating, but in all instances we've managed when it occurred to restore stability.
"Our responsibility is A, to save lives and B, to restore stability."
The police was aware that attacks could spread to other provinces and were ready to act if necessary.
For now, the situation is under control, she said.
"We are coping. We are able to deal with the situation."
(Additional reporting News24)
