Emmanuel Manyere was renting a house in Jeppestown near Johannesburg, but a gang comprising of his neighborhood youths burned the house to ashes saying they did not want foreigners taking over their jobs.
In an interview with Voice of America, Manyere said he feared for his life and wanted to return to Zimbabwe.
“A gang called Mzansi Wethu (meaning Our South Africa) attacked my rented houseom Tuesday. They managed to break into the house and they took whatever they wanted and they burnt everything, things like my refrigerator, radio, television set and when I came from work I found nothing. Right now I’m left with the clothes I was putting on that day. At the moment I haven’t gone back to work because I don’t even have decent clothes.
“As I’m talking to you right now I haven’t been going to work for one week and here is South Africa as a foreigner if you don’t go to work you don’t get paid and you can’t go to work with rubbish clothes.
“So, I need to raise some money to buy some (the company) uniform that was burnt. My situation is really, really bad … And I really don’t know, I really don’t know what I will do next. It’s really bad.”
He said he is now living with a friend who offered him temporary accommodation in Olivine, just outside Johannesburg.
Manyere said he was trying to raise money to go back to his wife and five children in Zimbabwe.
“My family is saying come back, it’s not safe in this foreign land anymore. I’m just hoping I raise enough money and go back to my home country.”
