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“The problem is that whenever protests happen some community members always takes out their frustrations on foreign shop owners. They never take time to think of how the rest of the people will suffer‚” said David Sibanyoni‚ a community committee representative in Ratanda‚ south of Heidelberg‚ Gauteng.
Immigrant-owned shops‚ belonging to people from Somalia‚ Bangladesh‚ China and Pakistan‚ have been closed since Monday last week after they were looted by residents protesting over poor services from the Lesedi Municipality.
“We are trying to come up with a solution… The majority of community members say they will starve if the Somali shops remain closed‚” said Sibanyoni.
Many in the Ratanda community rely on foreign-owned shops. Now they have to travel further afield. “Travelling all the way to town to buy bread or a cold drink is absurd. People should swallow their pride and allow the Somalis to operate‚” said Mojabang Radebe‚ a salon owner.
Mokile Nkosi‚ who has been renting a shop to a Somali man for five years‚ said her tenant had run away. Community members had also threatened to burn down her house with her and her three children inside if she continued to rent to the Somali man. They looted everything in the shop.
“l was terrified and was left with no choice but to hand over the keys. The R1‚500 which l used to get from the Somali every month helped me a lot because l am a widow‚” said Nkosi. “I am a woman. Being terrorised in such a way is the last thing I need.”
Mahommed Shamim‚ a shop owner‚ said that all he wants to do is to operate his business and help the community. He said he often sold goods on credit and people would pay him at the end of the month. Some never paid‚ but he didn’t pursue them for their debts. Shamim said he did not understand why some in the community hated foreigners so much. He said it was not true that they sold expired goods.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-09-03-xenophobia-triumphs-in-gauteng/
Immigrant-owned shops‚ belonging to people from Somalia‚ Bangladesh‚ China and Pakistan‚ have been closed since Monday last week after they were looted by residents protesting over poor services from the Lesedi Municipality.
“We are trying to come up with a solution… The majority of community members say they will starve if the Somali shops remain closed‚” said Sibanyoni.
Many in the Ratanda community rely on foreign-owned shops. Now they have to travel further afield. “Travelling all the way to town to buy bread or a cold drink is absurd. People should swallow their pride and allow the Somalis to operate‚” said Mojabang Radebe‚ a salon owner.
Mokile Nkosi‚ who has been renting a shop to a Somali man for five years‚ said her tenant had run away. Community members had also threatened to burn down her house with her and her three children inside if she continued to rent to the Somali man. They looted everything in the shop.
“l was terrified and was left with no choice but to hand over the keys. The R1‚500 which l used to get from the Somali every month helped me a lot because l am a widow‚” said Nkosi. “I am a woman. Being terrorised in such a way is the last thing I need.”
Mahommed Shamim‚ a shop owner‚ said that all he wants to do is to operate his business and help the community. He said he often sold goods on credit and people would pay him at the end of the month. Some never paid‚ but he didn’t pursue them for their debts. Shamim said he did not understand why some in the community hated foreigners so much. He said it was not true that they sold expired goods.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-09-03-xenophobia-triumphs-in-gauteng/
. They will probably start eating eachother and canabalism will become an epidemic because they are apes.
