In what looked like a renewed attack on foreigners in South Africa, a Nigerian man has reportedly lost his life-savings when some locals believed to be thugs maliciously razed down his car garage and spare parts shop.
A source close to the unfortunate owner told Freelanews that the multi million naira car garage was burnt down with customers’ vehicles.
“My friend’s car garage and spare parts shop, razed down by **** South Africans. Everything the poor boy has labored for in 15 years,” he lamented.
The source also revealed that the owner of L&k Auto Spares and Panelbeaters located at 409 Mainreef Street, Denver in Johannesburg had been inconsolable over the loss, especially when the garage was recently upgraded to car pimping and also diversified into paint sales.
“Been on the phone to him for like 40 minutes. Baale ile (Fully grown man) just dey cry like pikin. The garage just upgraded to pimping cars and a small paint depot. Won jo gbogbo (Everything was burnt down) along with customers cars,” he stated.
South Africa continued to experience incidents of xenophobic violence and discrimination against non-nationals despite the government’s launch of the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (NAP) in 2019.
“All the malls and shops in the suburb all the way to Soweto have been cleaned out. My friend was crying, I could hear his wife and kids crying in the background. The boys that attacked his shop were boys he knew and even assists,” he added.
Law enforcement officials often responded with indifference or provided inadequate remedies to xenophobic attacks.
Refugees and asylum seekers faced barriers to protection. This included a newly enacted law restricting access to asylum and a huge government backlog in processing claims and appeals.
One observer noted that while South African owned businesses flourish in other African countries and protected, the South African government can’t reciprocate the gesture.
“Is there any hope for foreigners in this country?” he mused.
See photos and video below.
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