'Business owners being targeted in South Africa'

By Wang Linyan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-05 09:07

Police in South Africa have arrested suspects after the slaying of a Chinese man.

Tang Yiguang, a 33-year-old from Fujian province, was shot in the head on Sunday morning, apparently by armed robbers attempting to hold up his store in Vryheid, a town 400 km from Johannesburg.

Embassy officials are already liaising with investigators and warning that Chinese business people are becoming targets in the country.

"I contacted the police this morning," said Lou Xiandi, counselor on security at China's Embassy in South Africa.

"They have caught five of the eight suspects, including the suspected gunman. They have also found guns."

Lou said the robbers also shot dead a local security guard before taking cash and goods from the supermarket, which specialized in the sale of Chinese products.

Tang's father is on his way to the country and Tang's brother-in-law is running the business.

"We will do what we can to help his father," Lou said, adding that officials have visited Tang's wife and relatives to express their condolences.

Police concluded on Monday that the killing was carried out by eight people, including Tang's cashier and her relatives, said Liu Yantao, chief of China's Consulate General in Durban.

Liu has asked police to step up patrols around Chinese businesses in the wake of the killing.

Around 300,000 Chinese people live in South Africa. In Vryheid, some 200 Fujian people run around 50 shops, said Lou.

He said Sunday's robbery, the third in the country in a little more than a month, was "not accidental".

"These recent cases show signs of employees conspiring with robbers," Lou said.

On July 1, a Fujian native who ran a factory was robbed on pay day with collusion from an employee.

And on July 14, a Beijinger who ran a chicken farm was shot dead by two employees during a robbery.

Lou warned Chinese merchants in South Africa to be cautious.

Li Xinzhu, chairman of Fujian natives association in South Africa, said it is hard for Chinese businessmen to open bank accounts in cash, making them targets.

Fatal robbery in Zambia

On Monday morning, a Chinese man, surnamed Chen, was killed by a robber in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, according to China's Embassy in Zambia.

His mother was seriously injured and was being treated in hospital. A mobile phone and cash were taken.

The case followed a slaying on April 22 in which a Chinese merchant was killed at his residence in Lusaka by robbers.