"War is Loading": Limpopo Advocate Mistaken for Foreigner in Pretoria Speaks Up in Video, SA Moved

• South African advocate Moafrika Wa Maila from Limpopo was allegedly harassed by men in Pretoria who accused him of being a foreigner
• The men demanded to see his identity document, unaware he was a South African legal professional
• Many South Africans online warned the anti-foreigner movement was now turning on locals

A South African advocate was left shaken after being targeted by a group of men who assumed he was a foreigner. Moafrika Wa Maila, a legal professional from Limpopo, said six men confronted him and accused him of being a "kwerekwere" before demanding that he produce his identity document.

Wa Maila responded by filming an emotional selfie-style video from his car outside what appeared to be a courthouse. Dressed in full court attire, including his black robe, he spoke directly and candidly to the camera about what had just happened to him.

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The video of Advocate Wa Maila was posted on 10 July 2026 by The Day Star and spread rapidly. Many South Africans pointed to it as evidence that anti-foreigner sentiment in the country had begun targeting South Africans themselves. Watch Moafrika Wa Maila's emotional account of the harassment below:

When locals become targets

The incident sparked serious concern among viewers. Many drew a direct line between the ongoing anti-foreigner marches and what happened to Wa Maila. Read the comments below:

Collins Munashe Matikinyidze said:

"Malema once said this after foreigners it's gonna be local people. Tribalism."

Imika Mwale agreed:

"Malema was right."

Mike Buter warned:

"Civil war is loading. South Africa, you will feel sorry for yourselves. It's going to be a spark that will light a bonfire one day. A Venda, Tshangani or any other will be killed by and that will be the end of it all."

Thabani Sithole added in isiZulu:

"Now you have stopped playing with Zimbabwe. When will it ever stop? If they had beaten you just once."

Other Briefly News of SA and anti-foreigner protests

• An alarming incident involving a South African truck driver, who was harassed and forced to resign after being mistakenly identified as a foreign national.
• The tragic death of a 19-year-old South African who was fatally stabbed during xenophobic unrest in Mossel Bay sparked heartbreak.
• A desperate plea from residents in a South African township urged a foreign shop owner to reopen his tuckshop after the closure due to the 30 June 2026 deadline.

Source: Briefly News