Police take action against late trading foreigners

eMBALENHLE – The local police want foreign shop owners to close for business at 7pm daily.

They said the Ethiopians, Somalis and Pakistanis are usually robbed at night.

Capt Magonseni Nkosi, spokesman for the police, said during a meeting they held with some of the foreigners at the police station on Thursday, 7 November that many of the robberies take place after 8pm.

A police report revealed that several shops belonging to the foreigners in Extension 11, 14, 21, and 22 were robbed of money, airtime, cigarettes and groceries at gun or knife point at night.

Capt Nkosi urged them to respect the agreement that was made during a meeting in May that their shops must close at 7pm.

That was also when the owners were told to put up security measures at their business premises and to not sleep inside their shops.

Capt Nkosi said owners who should follow the agreement are those who operate their business on residential stands.

“Some businesses operate at 2am and this is unacceptable.

“Owners must not put profit and money before their lives.”

Some of the shop owners denied that they operate late at night.

Others said they will not stop trading at night because the police are discriminating against them.

They said there are many foreigners from other countries who are trading at night, but nothing is done about them.

The Echo and Ridge Times noticed that many shops are still open for business at night.

Some owners are selling goods through a small hole in the door of their shops to avoid being attacked.