Residents said they never burnt down the foreign-owned spaza shop.
They said the owner, Abdul Jamae of Thokoza, Ekurhuleni burnt down the Lerato Supermarket himself in the early hours of yesterday morning so that looters couldn’t get to his stock.
The burnt out store was found to be full of destroyed groceries but the cash registers and Abdul’s clothes were gone.
A 38-year-old resident who didn’t want to be named said: “If there was looting, this store would be empty. In our section we don’t loot. The people who do that are criminals from other sections,” he said.
Supermarket employees said Abdul had a braai on Monday with the meat that he was supposed to sell.
“He also gave everybody cold drinks,” said Hakim Masinga (35), who worked in the shop.
“He has never done anything like that.”
The landlord of the property, Esau Motsamai (65) said he thought Abdul set the store on fire because nothing was looted. He said Abdul’s lease had only six months to run.
“He didn’t even phone me and his phone is off,” said Esau.
He said he feels betrayed because he has helped Abdul in the past when people tried to loot his shop. Daily Sun tried many times to call Abdul but his phone was on voicemail.
Thokoza police spokesman Patrick Mashiane said a case of arson and malicious damage to property has been opened.
There were reports of looting in Eden Park, Ekurhuleni on Sunday night.
On Monday most of the foreign shop-owners in Thokoza packed their groceries away after they heard that there might be looting. Most of the foreign shops remained closed yesterday. A shopkeeper, Alex Assamo said they will bring their groceries back when the situation has improved.
“We received a report that a group of some 20 people was trying to loot spaza shops in Eden Park,” said Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale.
“When police arrived, the looters fled. They left the scene empty-handed.”
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| Abdul Landlord is sad |
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