Deaths reported as South African looters break into foreign-owned shops

WHITE CITY (Halbeeg News) – Hundreds of South Africans are continuing to loot dozens of shops owned by foreigners in Soweto.

Several shops owned by Somalis, Ethiopians, Pakistanis, and Nigerians have been looted and burnt down in Pimville, Mndeni, Chiawelo, Zola, Mofolo, Senoane, Naledi, and in White City.

Speaking to BBC Somali Service, Duale Abdullahi, a Somali shop-owner in Soweto confirmed hundreds of irate local broke into the shops of the foreigners.

At least two people were killed and over 20 others including traders and locals were injured in brief clashes between locals and the shop-owners after some of the foreigners allegedly opened fire in a bid to protect their properties.

Daily Maverick, South African online media reported that two people lost their lives during the confrontation between locals and foreign business shop owners on Wednesday afternoon.

It is not clear the identity of the victims killed in the clashes.

The looting and attacks on the foreign-owned Shops comes barely a day after

News of the imminent chasing away of foreign business owners in Soweto first emerged through widespread content on social media suggesting that shops owned by the foreign business owners should be looted.

According to the Daily Maverick, another message was circulated on social media on Wednesday warning those who have foreign business owners as tenants to ask them to leave by the weekend.

Another South Africa newspaper, TimesLIVE whose staff arrived at the scene reported that the police officers were watching helpless foreign traders as South African crowds helped themselves to the goods inside the shop.

The more brazen carried their stolen loot in black trash bins‚ while others brought in trolleys and bags.

The paper states that the two shop owners had locked themselves inside the shop after one of them had earlier allegedly been beaten by community members.

The South African government has not yet commented on the newed xenophobic violence and looting carried out by the country’s local residents.