Foreign nationals spaza shops in South Africa’s largest slum, Soweto, have been looted since Monday after a 14-year-old boy was shot dead, allegedly by a foreign shop owner in Snake Park. The shop owner claimed that the boy was  part of a group that tried to rob his premises, News24 reported.

In reaction, however, locals from around Soweto went on a rampage looting spaza shops owned by foreigners. There is a widespread belief in South Africa that foreign nationals who’ve invested in small enterprises across major cities in the country are killing local businesses since they don’t employ locals and rarely pay taxes.

The latest attacks have raised concerns of xenophobia against African immigrants in South Africa witnessed in the country in 2008. A number of people were killed and thousands displaced amid mass looting and destruction of foreign-owned homes, property and businesses.