We expect to be killed any time.

[Jabhad]

Teenager Fazal Mohamed fled war-torn Somalia for South Africa in search of a better life - only to be subjected to a prison-like working and living environment.

 

The Barako Cash and Carry shop in Gugulethu's L3A Small Business Centre, where he works, is sealed by burglar bars. It is the 19-year-old's job to pass parcels to customers waiting outside through a small gap.

 

Instead of being pleased when people come to the shop, he gets nervous as they may turn out to be robbers or even killers, like those who murdered the 26 other Somalis who have died in the Western Cape this year.

 

 

This has left many refugees from this East African country living in fear.

 

As Ahmed Khalif, who runs the Nabe supermarket in Langa, put it: "We no longer ask one another 'how are you' or 'how is the business doing?'. We speak about how many Somalis have died the day before and wonder when out turn will come ... We expect to be killed any time."

 

Many of his countrymen believe that they are targeted in black areas and are much safer in coloured and white communities in Cape Town.

 

The spate of killings comes at the same time as a report was released claiming Africans were the worse racists of all South Africans, and that their main targets were other Africans, often immigrants and refugees.

 

Although Somalis believe they are being deliberately targeted, others believe differently.

 

Police and some community organisations have said Somalis were simply being hit by criminals, like everyone else.

 

Many of the major supermarkets in the black residential areas such as Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Langa are now run by Somalis.

 

These businesses were previously operated by local Africans who gave up due to either crime, stiff competition from the big retail supermarkets who have opened township outlets, or became bankrupt because of bad business practices.

 

In 2002 there was a spate of killings of black businessmen running shops in Khayelitsha. In those incidents nothing was stolen.

 

At the time other businessmen alleged that jealousy of business success was behind the killings.

 

Khalif and Mohamed first went to live in Port Elizabeth but were driven away by robberies and came to Cape Town.

 

But only three hours after arriving in the city, Khalif, 22, was robbed of his cellphone and cash during a robbery by three men at his friend's shop in Philippi.

 

Crime forced him to close his shop in Khayelitsha and re-open the Nabe shop in Langa.

 

Close to 20 local people work for him but he believes locals think "we are taking their opportunities".

 

Asked about why other African refugees like those from the Democratic Republic of Congo were not attacked, he said Somalis tended to live in close communities and run more lucrative businesses than those from other countries.

 

He had sent his wife back to Mogadishu because he feared for her life. "I'm waiting for my turn to die," he said.

 

While Khalif wants also to return to Somalia, Mohamed said he intend to remain in South Africa. His mother had been killed in Somalia earlier this year.

 

"I can't return to Somalia, there is war up there. I want to stay here. I like to work here."

But he does not like living as a prisoner.

 

Nomfundo Moshani of the SA National Civics Organisation said crime was high across the board in the Western Cape and Somalis were targeted because they were successful.

 

She said communities should reinforce the culture of good neighbourliness, get to know each another and protect each other, including the foreigners.

 

Western Cape police failed to respond to questions sent to them that could shed light on the exact number of Somali deaths and whether there have been any arrests in connection with these.

 

Police spokesman Billy Jones confirmed that five Somalis had been killed this month, four in Khayelitsha and one in Mfuleni.

 

No one has been arrested but the investigations were continuing, he said.

[N.O.R.F]

Illahey ha u sahlo

 

Some very disturbing news coming out of SA these days.

 

BOB comes to mind with regard to SOlers there. I hope he and his family are fine as with other Somalis.

[Tahliil]

Is this occurring in big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town or is it in the ghettos and small rural areas where economic situations are always dire for the locals? What's the real explanation for these murders? Can the Somalis do different things to protect themselves…Employ a south African perhaps; move to better and safer areas; go into whole sales instead of retails; work at locations where the police is close by maybe...

 

Unless this is epidemic where the Somalis are getting the wrath of the whole nation, I think they can find a solution for these tough times in SA...by considering other alternatives. Similar things are happening in Philippines, happened in Rwanda, in Malaysia, Indonesia, even in the states Arabs and Koreans who run grocery and Liquor stores in the tough neighborhoods get challenged all the time...I wish them all the best

[me]

This is a crime epidemic in SA. Tahliil, this is happening in major urban area's. Kayalitsha and Mitchels plain are parts of Cape Town. Jo'burgs city center was vacated by big businesses because of the crime epidemic. Its just now that the SA government is trying to get a grip on crime in SA. Crime also treatns the World Cup in SA.

 

Guns are readily available in SA and its a extremely violent society. In my experience from SA, everyone gets affected by crime about a million whites have left SA since the end of apartheid because of the violence. Johannesburg is more dangerous then Mogadisho. On daily basis more people were being killed in Johanesburg then in Mogadisho in the 1990's. Jo'burg was the murder capital of the world four years in a row. I don't SA's crime statistics nowadays but its still bad I think.

 

My advice to the Somalis would be form your own gangs and fight fire with fire. Follow the example of the SA muslims, who have dealt with the criminls in a brutal way.

 

The Somalis are beaning targeted this heavily because they are a 'soft' target. I hope they can unite to fight these people, relocating or leaving the country is no option for most Somalis in SA so its time to fight back.

 

This climate would be great for Somali organized crime. Any volunteers in starting up the Somali mafia in SA?

 

In return for 'protection' the shopkeepers can pay a fee and the Somali mafia will take care of the undesirables.

 

If this thing continues in a year I will go to SA and start my own 'Organisatsza'.

[Pacifist]

Somalis are especially being targeted because they are easy targets. Not only that, but the areas they are is not so safe. They are being target because the thugs know that we don't have security and well the corrupt police won't do anything about it. That is the price people pay when you have majority of the people dying of aids and hunger. All the kinds of ugly things that people will do for money.

 

In the last two years two family of mine were killed over there. Just last week my abti was killed in South Africa while tending to his shop allahu naxariso. While death is inevitable it is just the way he died that even makes it more painful.

Inshallah Bob will be fine and my prayers are with you dear Sala kahle Ngikufisela inhlanhla

[Sharmakee]

The Somalis are beaning targeted this heavily because they are a 'soft' target. I hope they can unite to fight these people, relocating or leaving the country is no option for most Somalis in SA so its time to fight back.

ME i think its not a matter just uniting but

the police are hardly safe from being bribed

and unless maybe each somali can afford his

own gun or pistol this ****** senseless killing

then robbing insult wont end

[me]

We all understand why Somalis in SA are being targeted. Its not because of racism but because the criminals know we are 'soft' or easy targets.

 

The Somalis in South Africa should organize themselves. I have many South African friends, whites, colourds and blacks. They tell me that everyone in SA is suffering from these crimes its not only the Somalis.

 

The whites have dealt with the crime against them by using 'security firms' that deal with the thugs that target them. The security firm by Louis van Schoor is a perfect example.

 

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/08/05/2003321890

 

The muslims in South Africa have also dealt with the criminals in cape town in a harsh way, by burning them alive. Nowadays the muslim area's in Cape Town are among the safest. People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD is a mainly Muslim anti-crime organization.

 

http://www.ndsn.org/sept96/pagad.html

 

The Somalis should follow these two groups.

The police can not be trusted. A Somali security firm should be established.

 

The problem with SA is that there are too many guns in circulation even the Somalis in SA are armed but one gun will not safe them. They should go after the killers and judge them themselves.

[Che -Guevara]

Apparently, the South Africa goverment doesn't have any control over these crime ridden areas cuz it is open season on Maryooley or Baraka as they like to call us.

 

web page

[me]

The Somalis in SA should be aided. Running away is no option.

If they chase us away from SA, they would not stop, the same tactics would be applied in Kenya, Uganda and all other countries where there are Somali owned businesses.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Me has a solution, runtii.

 

My seedi came back from there last year, to bring back his elder brother, who was viciously attacked and had been in comma for weeks.

 

That brother was semi-paralyzed, maskiinka, now in the comfort of his old home of Mareykanka.

 

He mentioned markuu soo noqday that many other ajnabi have paid gangs that take care those roaming savages, oo si xun loo dilo, oo sidooda loola dhaqmo markii la dilaayo. Blood for blood ayaa meesha ka dhacay, that they don't touch tukaamada Hindida now.

 

Soomaalida saas waa inay sameyaan mise meesha iskaga tagaan. At least Musambiik iyo Namiibiya wax quman laga sheegaaye ha iska aadaan.

[me]

Are there any entreperneurs here?

 

Allot of money can be made in SA's 'security firms'. Think with me people, imagine if you offer protection to the Somali shops and ask for a fee, you would make allot of money. The protection is thr start of this racket.

 

There are more than 300 Somali shops in Cape Town alone. If these shops pay you 30 Dollars a month you can make 9000 a month.

 

With 9 thousand a month you can hire your own 'jirri' sqauds in the Cape Town area, the thugs are known, all you need to do is target the thugs and take them out, once you have taken out enough thugs the news will spread and you will have a secure income.

 

You can also diversify you business, get into the protection of the Somalis in other cities, other communitiues, protection of transportation routes in Africa. The summegeling, drugs, arms trafficing etc etc.

 

All this will be possible because you are taking caring of your own community, the Somali communities in SA will back you up because you will be their champion.

 

in short, YOU CAN BE RICH, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT BIG.

 

see this as a way of helping your people and helping yourself.