South Africa: Somali-owned shops attacked and looted

[Jacpher]

More than 50 Somali-owned shops in the South African city of Port Elizabeth have been attacked and looted by local residents.

 

Police said four shops had been burnt down and about 200 Somalis living near the shop premises had fled the unrest.

 

A Somali community leader told the BBC there was some resentment in the area about the success of Somali traders.

 

At least 62 people died in attacks on foreigners that swept the country three years ago.

Correspondents say that in poorer areas, foreign workers are often blamed for taking homes and jobs from the local community.

 

'Tied up'

 

"About 200 Somalis ran away from their shops, where a lot of them live, when other residents started attacking them," Captain Andre Beetge, from South Africa's Eastern Cape police force, is quoted by the South African Press Association as saying.

Capt Beetge put the trouble down to business rivalry and said the situation was contained by the early hours of Thursday morning and people were now returning to their properties.

 

In total, 52 shops were looted and three were burnt down in the Motherwell area and three shops were looted and one torched in Kwadwesi, the police said.

Abdirahman Yusuf Ahmed, a spokesman for the Somali community in the Eastern Cape, said one Somali trader was in hospital after he was tied up in his shop when it was set alight.

 

Mr Ahmed told the BBC's Somali Service that in one area local residents had tried to help when the attacks began.

But the crowds ignored the attempts at intervention and moved from one Somali-owned shop to the next.

He said the recent local election could have stirred up xenophobic feelings in the area.

"Some parties were campaigning that they would expel the foreigners if they succeeded in the elections," he said.

[Aaliyyah]

I heard a similar stories a while back. Heart breaking! alle ha u sahlo

[OdaySomali]

700 Somalis were murdered in South Africa between 2002-2010.

 

 

A short report be warned, graphic images ^

[OdaySomali]

We should raise more awareness of this. It is being called 'the silent genocide' [in the above video] in South Africa as Somalis are targeted and murdered.

 

 

[Saalax]

That is what happens when you go to a african country which is is xenophobic to other people from africa. Alla ha uu sahlo.

[Mad_Mullah]

This is ignored by the same people who hate on Arabs, because their cousin's best friend's nephew said they called him 'Aswad'.

 

Anyways, Africa 4 Life.

[Taleexi]

Without a viable government in place... Somalis will be subjected to all kind of harassments irrespective of their location. Historically, we stood with South Africans in their darkest hour and if this is how they are paying back to us then i'm very much dissatisfied the inaction of the law enforcement over there.

[Somalina]

Instead of burning down Somali businesses why don't they start their own businesses. What is SA government doing about these hate crimes?

 

Caqli xayawaan fooqal caqli xayawaan.

 

May Allah save our people living in South Africa.

[OdaySomali]

Saalax;723837 wrote:

Alla ha uu sahlo.

Somalina;723881 wrote:

 

May Allah save our people living in South Africa.

Amiin.

[OdaySomali]

Somalina;723881 wrote:

Instead of burning down Somali businesses why don't they start their own businesses.

Xaasidnimo. Somalis should start a 'Somali defence league' or at least a security company for their little shops. Rapid responde team will handle them niggaz Somali style :cool:

[BiLaaL]

Somali businesses in Kenya faced similar problems in the early days. They overcame it by registering their businesses under the names of local Kenyas whom they've paid and by employing Kenyan security guards to provide security. Somalis in South Africa should employ the same tactics where possible.

 

All Africans, not just South Africans/Kenyans, despise Somalis for their entrepreneurial skills and steadfastness in abiding by their culture and religion. Abandoning religion/custom in order to blend in to local populations is never an option for a Somali - may this honorable Somali trait live on!