Immigrants who had their stalls ransacked on Monday in Marabastad believe that the work of checking their compliance with the law should be reserved for officials.
On Monday, a group of Tshwane residents began what they said was going to be a weeklong protest against illegal immigrants living in SA, complaining they were breaking visa rules that are accepted internationally and hurting the economy by not paying taxes.
The march spiralled out of control with some of the vendors being attacked, including a woman with a small child.
One immigrant, Edmore Mshawasha, said such operations should be executed by law enforcement officials and not community members.
“It's embarrassing because we are supposed to see these things happening from people like home affairs, police or Sars, not people from the street. We don't sell nyaope, but they can't ask those buying where they are buying drugs,” he said.
African Diaspora Forum (ADF) chair Vusumuzi Sibanda said: “Obviously, this kind of behaviour means a lot of self-help people making themselves the law, people who are not authorised to do that, but those that say they will get the police to go with them. Again, it looks like they want to decide what work the police will do at what time, which is obviously wrong,” he said.
Sibanda said the proper way to deal with crime was reporting to police and letting them do their work.
“Not this kind of behaviour where people do not have the expertise. It is a violation on its own to go and search anybody's property without a search warrant, or search a person without a warrant. They want to violate the privacy and human dignity of that person.”
Mshawasha argued that the victims of this week's attacks were legal foreigners and were compliant.
“Yes, we are foreigners but not illegal foreigners, I have my passport with me, I have my permit with me and everything is there.
“No-one is illegal here. We were expecting the law enforcement to protect us. Those who check papers and immigrants are supposed to be law enforcement. We are not saying illegal immigrants are right in the country, but it was supposed to be law enforcement [checking] that,” he said.
Like others, he said, he was only trying to make a living.
“We are doing this to earn a living. The things we sell come from Zimbabwe. We declare at the border. They don't just get here. We just don't smuggle things. Our business has no competition with South African business. We don't sell South African products, we sell things from our country,” Mshawasha said.
Mshawasha makes wooden spoons. He told TimesLIVE Premium that some South Africans call his trade “rubbish” despite him thriving in the business.
“They are saying we are taking their jobs, but we are earning a living with this rubbish if they are talking about their jobs I am sure they can't be talking about ‘this rubbish’,” he said.
Mshawasha said he sees South Africa turning into another Zimbabwe.
“We are all Africans. Let us not hurt each other because you don't know where you will end up tomorrow,” she said.
Junika Vungwe complained that they did not get police protection when they were attacked.
Vungwe, originally from Zimbabwe and has been working as a vendor for about 20 years, said he believed South Africans who attack foreigners were lazy and jealous.
“The problem with South Africans is that they don't want to work. We are working for ourselves and they are jealous — they want to sit in their houses. We are used to working and we love working. I didn't take their job, they must also sell, there is no-one telling them not to sell.,” she said.
Rhodah Kutsanzira said she was confused about the legality of what the marchers did.
“We don't know if this is lawful. If it's the law, it's fine,” she said.
Kutsanzira broke down in tears as she shared Monday's ordeal of how they were attacked, despite them being legal immigrants.
“This is how I get food to send to my children so that they go to school — but they are insulting us,” she said.
The widow said she came to SA in 2000 and has been trying to make a living to raise her children.
“It is painful that they are taking our stock. They should tell us and we pack our things. They were insulting us, old people. Sometimes we get this stock on credit, sell and go back and pay. They say we are taking their jobs — where are we taking their jobs?” Kutsanzira asked.
Virginia Chevumi has asked South Africans to help prevent the attacks.
“I did not steal anyone's job, I am working for myself. I am not safe, I am now praying that I get money to go home with my children — I am still scared now,” she said.
TimesLIVE
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