Strains are rising in Hartbeespoort as local leaders and residents have organised a shutdown to voice their anger over the growing incidents of racism and violence targeting black business owners.
Recent allegations have surfaced claiming that white individuals set fire to the well-known Bubbles Champagne Garden Restaurant amid racial tensions.
Thabiso Mathibedi, who owns the restaurant, said he wouldn’t leave the situation hanging.
“We are ready to do away with racism in our area. If white people are showing jealousy in the most violent way and are provoking us to show our worst, then we will once again be considered rogues.
“We work the hardest, through their racism and bad remarks, and yet when we make it, they bring it all down in flames,” said Mathibedi.
“I am hurt that my years of work went down just like that, but trust me, I will fight as hard as I can against this ordeal black people in Hartbeespoort are faced with.”
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) and the Black Management Forum (BMF), supported by the regional African National Congress, coordinated the protest, which saw all local businesses closed.
Demonstrators carried placards demanding justice and equal opportunities for black business owners, drawing attention to the systemic barriers that hinder their success in prime business areas.
Protesters marched between key locations, including Crocodile Mine, the police station, and Village Mall, demanding local employment and announcing plans to involve the Home Affairs Department to address the issue of undocumented foreigners on Monday.
Trend of gatekeeping
Both organisations raised concerns over the troubling trend of violence and gatekeeping in the area. Recent incidents have reportedly involved attacks on black-owned businesses, allegedly set ablaze by white neighbours.
Joseph Moyo, North West Sanco chairperson, condemned attempts by white residents to establish a whites-only independent state in Hartbeespoort, likening it to Orania in the Northern Cape.
“They are fucken crazy. This is Hartbees. This is where I was born, and there is no way we will allow white people to take over.
“We will only allow civilised white people to be with us, but racists, we are not going to allow them,” said Moyo.
Tsholofelo Mothibi, BMF branch chairperson, emphasised that the South African Constitution affirms that the nation belongs to all its citizens, regardless of race or background.
He urged the residents of Hartbeespoort to embrace and uphold these constitutional values in their diversity.
Mothibi reiterated the BMF’s commitment to working with local leaders and stakeholders to foster unity and coexistence in Hartbeespoort.
