South Africa: Somalis say they live in fear

[Haaraahur.]

Thursday, July 7, 2005

 

South Africa: Somalis say they live in fear

 

SOMALI shop owners, shocked by the brutal killing of two spaza owners by a trio of gunmen who went on a bloody rampage through three East London townships on Tuesday, buried their dead yesterday.

 

The gunmen shot up six spaza shops - five owned by Somalis and one by a Nigerian - in Duncan Village, CC Lloyd township and Buffalo Flats.

 

 

"We are investigating the fact that the suspects just went for foreigners," said police spokesperson Inspector Stephen Marais yesterday.

 

 

By last night, no one had been charged but two men, one in his 20s and the other in his 40s, had been brought in for questioning. Marais said arrests were imminent.

 

 

Mahamud Abdi Mahamed, 23, and Mahamed Nasier Omar, 20, died in the attacks. Four other spaza shop owners and a bystander were wounded.

Nigerian Daniel Dala, 27, Muhammed Ismail, 25, and Muhammed Mashafa, 35, are still in hospital, while Mohammed Ali and Vuyani Bodwana were discharged after treatment.

 

 

A vehicle believed to have been used by the gunmen was found on the side of the Douglas Smit Highway. A handgun stolen from the scene of the last robbery was found in the car.

 

 

Somalis at the funeral of the two men at the East Bank Cemetery yesterday told the Daily Dispatch that they lived in constant fear, after previous incidents at their shops - although nothing as bad as this week's attacks.

 

 

"We came to South Africa to look for a better life and we are killed," said one, who asked not to be named for fear of becoming a "soft target".

 

 

"We've come all the way from Somalia to find peace, love and unity but there is no peace here," he said. "In our own country, to be killed is expected because of the civil war. But here? We are not protected, we are not safe and we are not secure."

 

 

The Somalis said they left their country - an estimated 150 now live in East London - to escape the civil war but no longer think of South Africa as a safe haven.

 

 

They enter South Africa on three-month renewable permits which do not allow them to seek jobs. One option for them is to open spaza shops in the townships.

 

 

Some believe jealousy of their thriving businesses might have been a motive for the attacks.

 

 

"If this is no safe haven, it may be better to go back home," said one.

 

 

Duncan Village residents yesterday came out in support of the Somalis. Nimrod Ruiters echoed the views of many when he said their shops are good for the community: "They are friendly and their prices were good and cheap. I feel very bad about it and hope they catch the culprits."

 

 

Another local youngster, Zukile Gobeni, 19, believed the motive for the attacks was envy at the Somalis' success.

 

 

Xola Nodikana, ANC chairperson in Ward 25, said: "We don't have space in this world for violent criminals like these."

 

 

Somali Mohammed Ibrahim, who fled to SA to get away from the civil war eight months ago, said there is no support for refugees in SA.

 

 

Source: Daily Dispatch Online, July 07, 2005

[Haaraahur.]

The latest victims:

 

- Daily Telepraph (dispatch.co.za) said today:

A SOMALI spaza shopkeeper was attacked and killed in his Sterkstroom shop, police said yesterday.

 

Inspector Namhla Mdleleni said a six-year-old boy found Kasi Adid, 26, lying in a pool of blood on the floor of his shop at about 1pm on Wednesday. The boy alerted the neighbours, who called an ambulance that took Adid to Frontier Hospital in Queenstown.

Adid died in an ambulance while being transferred from Frontier to Frere Hospital in East London.

Mdleleni said the wound on his upper body could be from either a sharp instrument or a gun.

 

News24.com: Somali man stoned to death (16/08/2005)

 

Johannesburg - Mpumalanga police were searching for an unknown number of suspects on Tuesday after a Somali man, identified only as Abdekwati, was stoned to death in Piet Retief.

 

Captain Leonard Hlathi of Piet Retief said the 22-year-old man's body was found outside the municipal vehicle-testing grounds in the town early on Monday morning.

 

Bricks covered in blood and a knife were found near the body.

 

Police have appealed to anyone with information about the incident to contact their nearest police station.

[Haddad]

May they rest in peace, amen. It's high time Somalis should organize themselves. Somalia isn't safe, and appears it would continue to remain so for years to come. It's time Somalis should explore/discover countries where there's a significant number of Muslims, where there's an opportunity for business and employment, where they can raise their children in an Islamic society and where there's the possibilty to integrate themselves with the brothers & sisters of those countries. It doesn't take much effort; it just requires sending scouts who're good and able observants. There are many such countries, and I believe there are at least a few that meet the criteria.

[Castro]

Originally posted by Haddad:

It's time Somalis should explore/discover countries where there's a significant number of Muslims, where there's an opportunity for business and employment, where they can raise their children in an Islamic society and where there's the possibilty to integrate themselves with the brothers & sisters of those countries.

I know of one such place. It's called Utopia. May all those who died rest in peace.

[Haddad]

Originally posted by Fidel:

I know of one such place. It's called Utopia.

Latitude, longitude?

[Endeavour]

My freind is planning to go over to South Africa for work placement. I better make her read this thread!

[Castro]

Originally posted by Haddad:

Latitude, longitude?

If you knew where Utopia is, Haddad, you would show up and ruin it.

[Haaraahur.]

My freind is planning to go over to South Africa for work placement. I better make her read this thread!

Oh Yes you better do that.

[Valenteenah.]

How horrific! My God...

 

May Allah rest their souls in peace.

[Goonle]

Its amazing how many incidents such as the horrific ones in south africa have to happen for us to understand that were not welcome anywhere except for back home.

[Sky]

^^^ Most Def, Dhulka aad leedahay baad qiime ku leedahay. Its a cliché, but its true. Although SA is another topic. There is an en masse White exodus going on over there. Good news, but it shows you how serious the crime situation is in SA.

[Animal Farm]

I know of one such place. It's called Utopia. May all those who died rest in peace.

Fidel Well said

 

Its amazing how many incidents such as the horrific ones in south africa have to happen for us to understand that were not welcome anywhere except for back home.

Goonle Crazier sh!t happens back home, we make it a big deal when couple of Somalis are harassed and murdered in the west, and I’m not saying that’s wrong because human rights activists have drilled their propaganda of good and evil in our heads and they have armed us with the mechanisms of voice and exit when human rights abuses occur.

 

But, in Somalia, where’s the voice and exit, it’s the gun my friend, I doubt Somalia is more saver, than say South Africa, these people have fled to find the possibility of a new life and establish their lives elsewhere, so I doubt they’d want to go back home and forcefully get taxed by a warlord, and not even have the assurance that their business will exist tomorrow. These people left Somalia because their host nations have sustainable governments, or something remotely similar to a viable government, whereas Somalia has none.