"They had a metal pipe and hit me in the face. They called me amakwerekwere (foreigners) and said I must go home."
"I never expected to find myself in this situation," the well-spoken man said on Friday. "I just want to re-start my life but I'm so afraid of being victimised now. I don't want to go home in a box."
Some immigrants and refugees chased out of Cape Town's townships during last month's violence are back home, trying to start their businesses again with no equipment, goods or money.
Others have returned with a few goods to make enough money to go back to their home countries. Charles Kofi, 26, from Ghana, is one of the foreigners who plans to stay and re-open his business.
"I'm here on a study permit and I want to complete my studies, so now I have to start over because they stole everything," said Kofi, who has been in the country for four years and did a six-month travel and tourism course in Claremont.
His cellphone repair shop was also looted and Kofi has already started replacing what was stolen and damaged in his container.
More than 50 cellphones, cellphone accessories and about R5 000 in cash and airtime was stolen.
"I came here because of financial problems and because I wanted to study. I started the repair shop because I did a technician course in Ghana and I needed to make money for my studies. Now I have nothing but I can't go home with nothing, so I'm going to try to get a loan and start again."
He said that, before his shop was looted, he lived peacefully with the rest of the community.
"I live here with these people and I don't have a problem with them - only now with this xenophobia thing.
"I never expected to find myself in this situation," the well-spoken man said on Friday. "I just want to re-start my life but I'm so afraid of being victimised now. I don't want to go home in a box."
Some immigrants and refugees chased out of Cape Town's townships during last month's violence are back home, trying to start their businesses again with no equipment, goods or money.
Others have returned with a few goods to make enough money to go back to their home countries. Charles Kofi, 26, from Ghana, is one of the foreigners who plans to stay and re-open his business.
"I'm here on a study permit and I want to complete my studies, so now I have to start over because they stole everything," said Kofi, who has been in the country for four years and did a six-month travel and tourism course in Claremont.
His cellphone repair shop was also looted and Kofi has already started replacing what was stolen and damaged in his container.
More than 50 cellphones, cellphone accessories and about R5 000 in cash and airtime was stolen.
"I came here because of financial problems and because I wanted to study. I started the repair shop because I did a technician course in Ghana and I needed to make money for my studies. Now I have nothing but I can't go home with nothing, so I'm going to try to get a loan and start again."
He said that, before his shop was looted, he lived peacefully with the rest of the community.
"I live here with these people and I don't have a problem with them - only now with this xenophobia thing.
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