Businessman Mohamed Hussein is still licking his wounds after losing more than a R150 000 worth of stock during a looting incident at his shop. The incident, which left the businessman almost bankrupt, happened at Mavambe Village on Saturday after the burial of a ritual murder victim, Tsatsawani Maceke of Mahonisi.

After the funeral, the community discovered the body of a man in the trenches along the Malamulele-Thohoyandou road. It is believed the villagers linked the latest gruesome discovery with the spate of suspected ritual murders which are being committed in the village. (See a report elsewhere in the paper).

As if a spell was casted on them, residents ran amok, barricading streets with burning tyres. It is alleged during the fracas some took advantage and looted the shop, which is in the village, almost cleaning it out. Police had running battles with residents and conducted house-to-house searches, recovering some of the goods that were looted at the shop.

After the dust had settled, 69 residents were behind bars, three policemen were injured and property had been damaged. Mohamed Hussein (28) of Thohoyandou said he closed his shop at 13:30 in the afternoon and left for home. “On my way home, I noticed a group of people gathered next to the road, but proceeded to Thohoyandou, not knowing that something bad had happened,”he said.

Only after he had reached home he received a call, informing him that the shop had been broken into. “I immediately called a security company and the police, but they advised me not to go near the shop as they felt it would not be safe for me,“ he said.

He said he went to the police station the following day, where he laid charges, and after that went to the shop. “What I saw was horrible. The shop was like it had been swept clean. They even stole my deep freezer. My life is in shambles as I have got no other means of making a living. My other shop is safe, but I am not operating it as the situation is not yet conducive to trading,“ he said.

He said he had been with the Mavambe community for four years and he had not had any problems with them. “I am still shocked at what had happened. I feel I am part of this community and whatever problems they might have I share with them. I do not know where the bad rumour about Indian traders emanates from," he said. According to him, his religion does not allow them to hurt even a fly and a person is a sacred being, which should be respected at all cost. “I have never fought or injured anybody in my life. What is being said about us is a malicious rumour, which has all the ingredients of jealousy. We are here to do business with the community. We will never harm our clients who give us bread on a daily basis. We have reason to believe that it is only hooligans who are hiding under the guise of fighting ritual murders, and not community members,” he said.

He said he could not blame the community, as he knew that they were satisfied with the service he was giving them and he had their trust. “I am still prepared to serve the people of Mavambe and hope that many do appreciate the service we are giving them. We hope to build a strong and good working relationship. We can bury the past and move on,“ he said.

Hussein has more woes as his stock was not bought for cash and he still has credit to pay off. Another businessman suffered the same fate when angry community members tried to bar him from taking his stock after accusing him of complicity in a ritual murder after human parts were found at Mahonisi last week. Police had to use rubber bullets to scare residents before the man could be escorted away with his stock.

Mr Abdullah Patel, an Indian community leader, said it was sad to have malicious rumours doing the rounds about Indian traders. “We are God-fearing people and we will never be involved in such barbaric acts of killing people for money. Only hard work will make a person prosper. There is also a need for education in our communities about ritual murders,” he said.