A deeply unsettling scene played out in Qonce, Eastern Cape, this week as a group of anti-immigration protesters cornered a visibly shaken Nigerian businessman, demanding he immediately shut down his car wash facility.

The incident unfolded amidst a massive surge of coordinated anti-immigrant protests sweeping across multiple South African provinces, including the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, spearheaded by civil lobby groups like the March and March movement.

The Confrontation: Legality vs. Mob Rule

The clash, which was caught on camera by media outlets including eNCA, involved a group of local youths—some carrying sjamboks—conducting unauthorized, door-to-door raids on foreign-owned establishments.

When confronting the Nigerian car wash owner, protest leaders aggressively questioned his right to be in the country, demanding proof of documentation.

  • The Owner's Stance: The businessman maintained his composure, stating firmly that he holds a valid South African Identity Document issued legally by the Department of Home Affairs back in 2005. Furthermore, he argued that his business complies with the financial capital benchmarks required by national corporate laws.

  • The Protesters' Claim: Disregarding his legal papers, a protest leader cited a warped interpretation of South Africa's Immigration Act, falsely asserting that foreign nationals are strictly barred from operating informal trading businesses like car washes. "It belongs to South Africans. Close it down now," he ordered, as the crowd chanted "Abahambe" (they must go)