Foreign nationals hire hitmen to kill South African business forum

Members of the Ratanda Spaza Business Forum in Gauteng are facing difficulties as they come under attack by Foreign Nationals, forcing many to go into hiding to evade assassins who have claimed the lives of four of their members in just a few weeks.

Since the establishment of the forum’s committee on February 7th, four out of the eight committee members have been brutally gunned down. The latest victim, Happy Nyauzaza, tragically lost his life in his spaza shop in Ratanda, south of Heidelberg in Gauteng.

The assailants, who had purchased R40 airtime from Happy, fatally shot him after he noted that the money was R3 short.

Nkosinathi Phillip Etienne Ngondo, who was visiting Happy at the time, bravely attempted to intervene but was also fatally shot by the assailants.

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Additionally, a woman working for Happy in the spaza was injured in the attack but has since been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment.

Happy’s death occurred while he was preparing for the funeral of Mandla Daniel Moqoqo, another local spaza shop owner and forum member, who had been fatally shot on February 23rd.

The situation has escalated to the point where one of the forum leaders, speaking anonymously to Scrolla, revealed that he too is on the hit list and has received death threats.

He recounted a chilling encounter where the men who murdered Mandla arrived at his house armed with cordless angle grinders.

The ongoing attacks have plunged the Ratanda community into fear and uncertainty, prompting calls for urgent action to address the escalating violence and protect those targeted by these ruthless assassins.

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“The men started by cutting the main gate to get entry. They then cut the burglar-proofing before they proceeded to Mandla’s main bedroom. They found Mandla’s terrified wife and children and threatened them that they would all die if they didn’t show them where Mandla was,” the leader said.

“By that time, Mandla was hiding in a backyard room calling for backup from the authorities and community members.”

The violent events in Ratanda have left the community reeling as the violence claims the lives of more members of the Spaza Business Forum.

How foreign nationals targeted Mandla

Mandla Moqoqoi, a prominent figure in the community, faced a horrifying fate when he opened his door to a hail of bullets, ultimately succumbing to 13 gunshot wounds.

Miraculously, his wife and children were left unharmed.

The forum suffered another devastating blow with the murder of Moeketsi Mollo in Ratanda Extension 23, adding to the growing list of fatalities.

Must read: Happy Nyawuza killed by foreign spaza shop owners in Ratanda

In response to the attacks, residents of Ratanda and surrounding townships are mobilising to shut down foreign-owned spaza shops, viewing them as potential targets for violence and instability. However, their attempts to take matters into their own hands have been met with deadly consequences.

Last month, when residents of KwaThema resorted to hiring a crane to physically remove container shops, hitmen struck, resulting in the tragic murder of the crane driver.

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