Foreigners fear criminals
Police discourage foreigners from sleeping inside their shops.
eMBALENHLE – Businesses owned by foreigners, mainly Ethiopians and Somalis, have been targeted by criminals who have been robbing several shops of money and stock in the past two weeks at night.
An Ethiopian was killed in his shop in the Mandela Section and another one in Extension 25 during a robbery at their shops last week.
Another shop owned by an Ethiopian was robbed in the Mandela Section on Wednesday evening, 18 June.
Mr Muhumed Alasow Jidhan (40), a Somalian, was robbed while he was sleeping inside his shop in Extension 22 last Monday, 16 June.
A group of about 15 people broke in and stabbed him and his worker and stole R2 500, airtime vouchers, cigarettes and other items.
Another foreign shop owner said his shop has been targeted a few times and believes local residents are involved in the robberies.
He said there is a trend that once a new foreign trader moves into the area, his shop gets robbed.
Some foreign owned shops also trade until late, which attract criminals.
The local police have been encouraging foreign shop owners in the past to stick to their trading hours and refrain from keeping large sums of money on their premises.
They also asked them not to sleep inside their shops, because it is unsafe and unhealthy.
Col Lizzy Mtungwa, station commander, said they have made arrests in some of the cases and some goods were recovered.
