Garowe Online (Garowe)
7 October 2012
Cape Town — Frequent attacks on Somalis
living in South Africa has created serious uncertainty amongst Somalis
living in South Africa, Garowe Online reports.
Attacks on Somalis have been persistent throughout South Africa particularly with Somali traders.
Last month three Somali traders from Cape Town were killed within 72 hours of each other.
Bashir Ahmed Faray and Ismail Ali Dalabey were killed in the Philipi village a business sector located in Cape Town.
Following that killing, Abdulqadir Hassan a Somali shopkeeper was shot and killed by gunmen and his store robbed.
According to police, the gunmen have been behind many robberies and killings in Cape Town.
Somalis in South Africa have expressed alarm of the repeated killings and robberies of Somalis with many appeals to police proving unsuccessful in stopping the targeted killings.
"I don't know if I can maintain living in South Africa. It seems like everyday you hear so and so was killed and robberies are everyday occurrences," said Mohamed Ahmed a shopkeeper in Cape Town.
Many Somali migrants spend more than three months enduring horrific conditions, some succumbing to the grueling conditions or sickness in hopes of reaching South Africa, one of the most stable and successful countries in Africa.
However, some Somalis have lost hope after targeted attacks intensified over the year.
"I came here to escape conflict but have seen my people being the target of heinous crimes. I don't know whether or not I should stay," said Mr. Ahmed.
One week in June ten Somali business owners were killed and their stores robbed by South African gangs. Two weeks before that, 20 Somali stores were looted by gangs.
Somalis have expressed discontent in the lack of protection of their businesses or lives by local police.
"I thought that police would pursue the killers and looters of Somali traders, however their promises have been false hopes," said Amin Ali a student in Johannesburg.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates and rape cases in Africa. Police minister Nathi Mthethwa announced last month that the murder rate dropped by 3.1 percent down to less than 16,000 murders for 2011/2012.
Minister Mthethwa stated that business robberies spiked over the past year, increasing by 7.5 percent. The minister announced that the government has finalized a strategy to reduce small business robberies and ensured implementation within the next weeks.
"I have heard that rhetoric before but I hope that the police will actually implement their initiatives," replied Mohamed Ahmed.
Attacks on Somalis have been persistent throughout South Africa particularly with Somali traders.
Last month three Somali traders from Cape Town were killed within 72 hours of each other.
Bashir Ahmed Faray and Ismail Ali Dalabey were killed in the Philipi village a business sector located in Cape Town.
Following that killing, Abdulqadir Hassan a Somali shopkeeper was shot and killed by gunmen and his store robbed.
According to police, the gunmen have been behind many robberies and killings in Cape Town.
Somalis in South Africa have expressed alarm of the repeated killings and robberies of Somalis with many appeals to police proving unsuccessful in stopping the targeted killings.
"I don't know if I can maintain living in South Africa. It seems like everyday you hear so and so was killed and robberies are everyday occurrences," said Mohamed Ahmed a shopkeeper in Cape Town.
Many Somali migrants spend more than three months enduring horrific conditions, some succumbing to the grueling conditions or sickness in hopes of reaching South Africa, one of the most stable and successful countries in Africa.
However, some Somalis have lost hope after targeted attacks intensified over the year.
"I came here to escape conflict but have seen my people being the target of heinous crimes. I don't know whether or not I should stay," said Mr. Ahmed.
One week in June ten Somali business owners were killed and their stores robbed by South African gangs. Two weeks before that, 20 Somali stores were looted by gangs.
Somalis have expressed discontent in the lack of protection of their businesses or lives by local police.
"I thought that police would pursue the killers and looters of Somali traders, however their promises have been false hopes," said Amin Ali a student in Johannesburg.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates and rape cases in Africa. Police minister Nathi Mthethwa announced last month that the murder rate dropped by 3.1 percent down to less than 16,000 murders for 2011/2012.
Minister Mthethwa stated that business robberies spiked over the past year, increasing by 7.5 percent. The minister announced that the government has finalized a strategy to reduce small business robberies and ensured implementation within the next weeks.
"I have heard that rhetoric before but I hope that the police will actually implement their initiatives," replied Mohamed Ahmed.
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