Everson Luhanga
For more than 20 years, David earned a living by selling essential goods to his community at his three stalls at the Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra.
He has five children and grandchildren whose meals depend on David selling enough groceries and hardware materials at the mall every day.
But in the early hours of Wednesday morning, his business, which was so precious to so many, went up in smoke when two men doused his stalls and many others in petrol and set them alight.
The fires raged through the night, gutting the businesses of several of the mall’s vendors.
Eyewitness Alphy Malesela said the Alexandra fire fighters arrived to do what they could, but with no water, they couldn’t stop the fire from spreading
“They arrived having no water in their fire engines. The firemen also stood helplessly and watched the blaze destroying the shops,” Malesela said.
Malesela said the fire fighters called their counterparts in Sandton who arrived and helped by extinguishing the fires.
“But the damage was already done. After the fire was put out, the shops were just a heap of wreckage,” said Malesela.
Merchant David Masitatona said he has lost stock worth over R65,000.
“I don’t know how I will bounce back and continue with my business. This is tragic for me and my family,” he said.
He said when he went to the Alexandra police station to open a case, the officials asked him to bring the papers that showed he was legally trading at the place.
“All my business documents have been gutted down inside the shops. I used to bring them to the shops because members of Dudula Movement used to ask for them.”
The anti-immigrant group Dudula Movement are notorious for intimidating both foreign owned and South African stalls in Alexandra.
“Now I have nothing to prove that I owned these stalls,” said David.
Connie Raphela, 56, said she has been trading at the mall for nearly five years and she had three shops.
“All my three shops have been destroyed by the fire,” she said.
Connie pleaded with the government to come forward and help them with capital and restart their businesses.
“I have lost over R100,000 worth of stock,” she said.
Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the cause of the fire is subject to investigation. Police are also investigating the fires. No arrests have yet been made.
