Foreigners fleeing attacks and the looting of their shops are stranded at police stations in Soweto, south of Johannesburg, they said on Friday.

"I do not have nowhere to go. I am stuck here. I slept in the open last night," said Lamin Ali, from Ethiopia.

He said a group of people stormed into his shop on Thursday and took goods.

"They just take; take and run away," he said.

"I do not know where I will go. I cannot stay at a police station forever."

Lamin and other foreigners have sought refuge at police stations following unrest and looting in Soweto since Monday.

A local man, Enock Molebeletse said what was happening in Soweto was disgusting.

"People cannot claim to be hungry when we see them drunk every day. They have money for alcohol and resort to crime to eat."

He said when foreigners drove off from their shops, some locals tried to snatch cold drinks from moving vans.

Molebeletse said he had helped foreigners with transport to get out of the township.

"Locals should have protected foreigners instead of stealing from them. Where is ubuntu?" he asked.

"Our ancestors are ashamed of us. It is like we are spitting on their legacy of ubuntu. As Africans, we failed them," he said.

"We failed to protect those vulnerable," he said shaking his head.

Two vans still loaded with goods some of the foreigners had managed to save were parked at the Moroka police station.

Six men from Ethiopia stood next to the vans, some of them drank cold drinks and ate bread.

"The bread will rot and drinks get hot," said Salimi Mussah.

He said it was better to eat them before they went bad.

He said a number of shops were looted in Pimville Zone Three on Thursday night.

"When the police arrived, the shops were completely looted. My brothers run away with nothing," he said.

Gauteng police said 121 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest and looting.