THEKWANE NORTH – In an effort to foster good relations within this community, foreign national businessmen hosted a thanksgiving event to address this and to also show gratitude to residents.

This comes after the community prevented their businesses from being attacked during the sporadic attacks that saw their fellow countrymen’s businesses being looted in neighbouring townships.

Speaking to this publication, PR coun-cillor Mr Moses Mayinga, indicated that during the attacks, community leaders assisted them in preventing their shops from being looted. “We were often in talks with them during the attacks that they should close their shops to prevent them from being attacked by disgruntled residents,” he said.

This is despite the fact that the community in this area didn’t take part in the attacks. Mayinga indicated that government was currently holding talks to find ways of registering their businesses and how they can contribute economically.

“It may seem like these foreign business people are taking jobs from locals, but they are in actual fact assisting the community. Some of the residents, including the elderly, receive goods on credit and as a result are able to feed families,” said Mayinga.

One of the businessmen, Mr Omar Mohamed Nuur, said that residents ought to consider the fact that they came from a war-torn country and as a result, they decided to come to South Africa because of the opportunities here.