CAPETOWN (Halbeeg News) – The Somali community in Cape Town has announced that the traders from Somalia count huge losses after South African gangs looted shops.
Since early March, the xenophobia attacks orchestrated by gangs have been escalating leading to the destruction of properties worth millions of USD.
Mohamed Abdi Osman, a member of Association of Somali traders in Cape Town, said that the attackers had destroyed 58 shops and a restaurant belonging to Somali people.
“The attacks have been constant day and night since last month, the assailants started their violence with looting before they set fire on the remaining properties,” he said.
Mr Osman accused the police of laxity during the raids on Somali and other foreign-owned business centres.
“We have reported the issue several times, but the police arrive at the scene after the unfortunate incident,” he lamented.
He noted other foreigners in the town also suffered losses during the xenophobia attacks.
“Other nationals from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Malawi and Zimbabwe were also attacked. Their properties were destroyed, so far over 60 business centres belonging to these communities were either torched or looted,” he said.
Last Thursday, hundreds of protesters armed with clubs and stones raided
Khayelitsha neighbourhood, prompting the closure of business centres.
Western Cape community safety on Friday condemned the escalating violence targeting the foreign business people in the city.
Alan Winde, the chairperson of the bloc, called for the arrest of ‘political figures’ alleged to be behind Thursday’s “Khayelitsha shutdown”.
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