Zambia's Qfm radio, which has a listenership across the global via internet streaming and satellite platform, has stopped playing South African music effective today as protest against xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.

Company managing director Asan Nyama said the move to blackout South African music indefinitely is in solidarity with Africans who have fallen victim to xenophobic attacks in Durban, KwaZulu Natal Province.

To date no Zambians have been affected, but the station said considering that it has a global audience, it feels duty bound to voice its protest.

Nyama said, "Considering that it is not the first time that foreign nationals are being targeted by in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, there is need to send a clear message to South Africans that violence on fellow Africans negates African unity which the continent's forefathers fought for".

He said Qfm regrets the death of at least five people that have so far believed to have been killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Nyama called on the South African government to urgently address the problem before more lives are lost, and to bring to book perpetrators of such heinous crimes.

Meanwhile, Zambian President Edgar Lungu has consulted with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) chairperson, regarding the spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Lungu said the Zambian government is concerned with the escalating situation.

According to media reports, anxiety and anger has also gripped Zimbabwe with opposition politicians and social commentators criticising Mugabe's ZANU-PF government for taking long to react to the attacks.

In Zambia, there are also mounting calls for Zambians to shun South African products.