The police have stepped up patrols in Ficksburg in the eastern Free State after the murder in the area on Friday of a Chinese businessman, a policeman said on Monday.
Xu Haibin (30) was the fourth businessman of Chinese or Indian origin to be killed in the town in recent weeks, Captain Motarafi Ntepe said.
Police patrolling in the area on Friday night heard gunfire and proceeded in the direction from which the noise came. When they arrived, they found Xu dead next to his bakkie. Eight empty cartridges were found and Xu’s cellphone and R1 000 were still on him.
Ntepe said a witness told police on the scene that Xu had been attacked by three men. The witness also showed police the direction in which they fled. ”This is the fourth incident where …Chinese and Indian business people (have been) attacked in Ficksburg. Crime Prevention patrols will be contacted in the area on regular basis to address these robberies,” Ntepe said. – Sapa