Johannesburg Is Burning

AP Photo/Jerome Delay

South Africans cheer as they turn over a container belonging to a foreigner as they riot in the Reiger Park informal settlement outside Johannesburg

Sam Muyumba thought he was done with killing when he left the Democratic Republic of Congo. After civil war erupted there in 1998, he watched friends, family and millions of his countrymen die as neighbor turned on neighbor. Seven years ago, he arrived in South Africa, the continent's richest country, to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor in Africa's best schools. Now, seeking refuge from murderous crowds in a central Johannesburg police station, he feels as vulnerable as he did back in Congo. "They're our own neighbors — we lived together, and I gave them food," he says. "Then I...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!