South Africa: Somali shops destroyed by ‘criminals’

By Zara Nicholson

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 SAFETY FEARS: A group of Somali shopkeepers leave Wallacedene with their goods after about 200 Somali-owned shops were looted in the area over the past few days in the midst of a housing protest. Photo: Brenton Geach

ABOUT 200 Somali shopowners in Wallacedene have been affected with their shops being looted, destroyed and set alight by “opportunistic criminals” taking advantage of a housing protest.

Yesterday, the protest rocked Wallacedene in Kraaifontein for a third day and scores of Somali families were left displaced and frustrated after their shops were looted on Wednesday night and during the day yesterday.

Police arrested 55 people on Wednesday night and in the early hours of yesterday morning, charging them with public violence, housebreaking and theft for the looting. They will appear in court on Monday.

Some Chinese shopowners were also affected while the widespread looting saw Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer meet community leaders and Somali representatives at the Kraaifontein police station yesterday

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Somali shopkeepers say they do not want to believe that the looting is xenophobic, but pointed out that the only shops that were not targeted were those owned by South Africans. Yesterday protesters continued to rampage through a section of Wallacedene.

Firemen were still extinguishing fires at three containers.

Somali Association of SA co-ordinator Mohamed Hadith said his countrymen were very concerned about their safety after about 200 of their shops had been looted. Most shopkeepers lost all their stock. “They seemed to be targeting the foreigners’ shops,” Hadith said. The association discussed more effective measures of dealing with the looting with Lamoer and Kraaifontein police yesterday.

Lamoer said he explained police would patrol the area, increase visibility and respond to complaints.

Mohamed Noorgaal, a shopowner in Wallacedene, said his losses amounted to R8 000.

Meanwhile, the city’s mayco member for human settlements, Tandeks Gqada, said the city would act strongly against criminals and vandals who put the community at risk and intimidated people in the area.

The protests stemmed from an illegal land invasion which resulted in city property and 17 residents’ homes being damaged, while a city staff member had to be admitted to hospital.

zara.nicholson@inl.co.za