Cape Town - Groups of Zimbabwean men armed with knives and axes gathered early today in Wallacedene, Kraaifontein, to defend themselves against possible attacks by disgruntled locals.
This followed rioting in the suburb on Wednesday during which Somali and Chinese-owned shops were looted, roads were blocked, property was damaged and stones were hurled at police and journalists by residents frustrated by poor housing and service delivery.
Ironically, today is World Refugee Day, an annual commemoration established by the UN to “honour the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence”.
Police said about 1 000 residents had been involved in Wednesday’s rioting and that about 15 Somali shops had been attacked. Five people were arrested and charged with public violence.
A group of Zimbabweans told the Cape Argus on Wednesday that they were ready to protect their homes and businesses.
The group, armed with knives and an axe, patrolled in a bakkie and were inspecting a friend’s television sale and repair container shop that had been trashed and looted earlier on Thursday.
The owner of the shop, Bra Kapela, said he had lost uninsured merchandise worth more than R20 000.
One of the group was Shannon Siya, an environmental science student who moved to Wallacedene five years ago. He said Zimbabweans had “peacefully co-existed” with other people in Wallacedene for many years.
“Criminals and looters have taken advantage of the situation, and we hear that they want to target us now. We cannot put our faith in police, we must protect ourselves,” he said.
Nearby, looters were sifting through the remains of half a dozen other shops. Some had been torched and were still smouldering. Elsewhere, vandals were breaking open the latches of other shops.
A group of Zimbabwean women who left their Wallacedene homes for fear of being attacked gathered at Kraaifontein police station today.
One woman, who asked not to be named, said her house had been invaded by a group of men this morning who had demanded money. The woman’s neighbours had chased them off.
“Our Xhosa neighbours accept us, we live with them and we are good neighbours. It is only a small criminal element, mostly comprised of youngsters who don’t go to school and want to steal,” she said.
She complained that she had had to go to the police station for protection, “instead of the police coming to our community to protect us”.
What started as protests over allegations that government housing in the area had been handed over to beneficiaries from Khayelitsha and other “outsiders” turned to anarchy and looting yesterday.
Graham Daries, who said he applied for a home in the early 1990s, explained the frustrations which sparked the initial protests.
“We see people moving into these homes. They are Eskom employees, they are teachers and they are from far-flung townships,” he said.
“What aggravates the people more is that they have money. Within days of moving in, they start building high walls to enclose themselves from us, and mount DStv dishes on their walls.”
On Wednesday the Cape Argus found no sign of the Somali and Chinese businesspeople whose shops were attacked. Residents said they had fled.
The refugee rights NGO People Against Suffering, Oppression and Poverty condemned the violence and asked the police to provide security to “vulnerable” foreigners.
Police had not provided an update on the situation at the time of going to print.
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