The Somali community in the Western Cape has reacted with shock after two of their members were brutally gunned down this week by suspected robbers in townships around the Cape. "We are in total shock. Our people are getting killed almost every week," Abdurrahman Ahmed Omar, executive chairperson of the Somali Community Board in the Western Cape told VOC.
He reported that the first Somali national was gunned down in Kraaifontein this week Monday. The second Somali was killed at his shop in Langa township on Wednesday. Omar identified the slain Somali as 36 year-old Yusuf Ahmed Ali. The robbers left the scene with taking anything from the shop. By the timing of going to press VOC had not been able to obtain a comment from the Langa police.
"We are so traumatized as a community and appeal to government to protect our people." According to Omar, jealous local businessmen might have had a hand in the murders. Sheikh Abdi Rashid Afi, an executive member of the Somali Community Board of South Africa (SCOB), agreed with this view, saying that Somali shopkeepers were mainly killed in townships because of business jealously.
"The main motive behind the killing of Somalis is business jealousy from local traders and another is xenophobia, especially from locals who believe that foreigners are here to take jobs from them." He reported that the first murder of a Somali in the Western Cape took place in 2004. Since then hundreds have been killed. Afi also blames the police for turning a blind eye on the issue.
Inaction
"The police’s inaction encourages criminals to kill the Somalis. In 2009 we discovered that there were more than 34 files of Somali murder cases missing from the Phillippi and Guguletu police stations. We suspect the cops might have thrown out the files or did not record the crimes to begin with," he charged and called upon the provincial and national leadership to institute an investigation into the murders of Somalis.
"As Somalis living in South Africa, we would like to make it known that we are part of this Rainbow Nation. We are going nowhere. There are more than 3,500 Somali children born in this country, while another 6,000 Somalis will become citizens of South Africa by 2012." As such, he appealed to both South Africans and the Somalis in the townships to integrate.
In May 2008 South Africa was left reeling in shock after an eruption of violence on a national scale not seen since the end of Apartheid. The media described the attack meted out by mainly blacks against African migrants as an unprecedented wave of xenophobia, while politicians were quick to site the possibility of a third force.
Over 62 lives were lost in the anti-foreign violence that first started in Northern Johannesburg township of Alexandra. The killing spread throughout the country like wild-fire and many of the South African papers carried a shocking image of a man, from Mozambique who was burnt alive. Civil society organisations in South Africa have strongly condemned attacks on migrant traders especially Somali’s. VOC
