Nigerian man’s car torched in Rustenburg in North West

A car allegedly belonging to a Nigerian national was set alight near a taxi rank in Rustenburg on Saturday afternoon, North West police said.

“A car was allegedly set alight yesterday [Saturday] late in the afternoon. The ownership and motive are yet to be determined,” Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said on Sunday.

Witnesses said the car belonged to a Nigerian man who ran an internet cafe near the minibus taxi rank. It was not yet known why the car was set alight.

In January, eight guesthouses suspected of being brothels and drug dens were torched when minibus taxi drivers attacked Nigerian nationals for allegedly operating the brothels and drug dens. This was after taxi driver Lebogang Motlhabane was killed, allegedly by drug addicts.

Taxi drivers believed Nigerian men supplied drug to addicts who killed Motlhabane.

On January 21, 14 Nigerian men were arrested for public violence after they allegedly blocked access to the Rustenburg police station. They complained that they were being attacked and police were not helping them.

On March 2, 16 Nigerian men appeared in court after they were arrested on Thursday for allegedly dealing in and possessing drugs, and contravening sexual offences laws. Their case was postponed to March 12 for a bail application.

North West police said the arrests followed an intensive investigation which commenced at the beginning of February to deal with alleged drug dealing and brothels at various residences in Rustenburg and Tlhabane.

Cocaine with an estimated street value of R400 000 and cash amounting to R53 000 were seized, as were four vehicles worth R550 000.

– African News Agency (ANA)