JOHANNESBURG, April 2 (Xinhua) -- South African law enforcement agents have arrested three people for attacking foreign nationals, the government said on Tuesday.

The arrests came after some locals attacked foreign nationals in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces last week.

"Three people have been arrested for their part in the criminal incidents and law enforcement agencies remain steadfast to bringing the perpetrators responsible for these crimes to book," said Phumla Williams, acting director-general of the Government Communication and Information System.

The government has warned people against using social media to spread fake news about xenophobic attacks in the country.

There have been messages circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp about impending attacks on foreign nationals living in the country.

"The spread of misinformation, fake pictures and videos on social media as well as fake websites may be fuelling tensions in our communities between South Africans and foreign nationals," Williams warned.

People should not believe everything they read or see on social media that is purported to be about attacks on foreign nationals, she said, adding that some video clips and images purporting to be of the recent attacks on foreign nationals are not true.

"The recent spate of the fake online stories which are fuelling tensions between South Africans and foreign nationals calls for greater efforts to raise awareness in society about fake news and fake social media posts," Williams said.

The fake news are meant to sour the relations between South Africa and its neighbors, she said. Enditem

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