Cape Town - Two Somali shopkeepers were killed, two robbers shot dead and five others wounded in separate incidents of violence at Gugulethu shops owned by foreigners in the past four days, police confirmed.
On Friday, Somali shopkeepers Abdimuhammad Ali and Ahmad Muse were shot dead after a robbery that took place in their Lucky No2 shop at the Lotus informal settlement.
At another Somali shop in Phola Park - not far from Lotus - two robbers were shot dead.
Police said the robberies took place at about 7.15pm. No arrests had been made.
“A part of the investigation will establish if the suspects can be linked with both robberies and murder incidents,” said police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut.
Lucky No2 owner Abdisalon Dhiblawe said he was uncertain of the events that led to the killing of his shopkeepers on Friday evening.
He said he received a phone call at his home in Bellville at about 9pm from a Somali shop owner telling him his “brothers” had been shot dead.
Dhiblawe said that when he got to the shop the bodies were still there and the shop had been looted.
The robbers took money, airtime and cigarettes before fleeing the scene, he said.
In Phola Park, Somalis said they were shocked and afraid of what would happen next after three consecutive shootings and robberies that took place at the Skoma Cash Store over the weekend.
The first attack occurred on Friday when the shop owner and his staff were shot at by gunmen - one staff member was shot in the stomach and another in the buttocks.
The following day, armed men again attacked the store - this time, one staff member was shot in the arm and another in the chest.
On Sunday, robbers shot and wounded the shopkeeper through the security bars and forced their way through the side door, smashing a refrigerator and taking cash, airtime and cigarettes.
Xasan Maxamalm who was at the scene, said the shopkeeper was serving customers when the gunmen entered the store.
“The two robbers said they wanted to buy a loaf of brown bread, so my brother went to fetch the bread.
“When he put the bread on the counter, they shot him. My brother then ran to our room and my friend came out with a gun and shot back at them,” he said.
The owner of the land on which the shop is situated, Luyanda Mbambane, said: “What’s happening here is bad. During apartheid we were foreigners in other countries, like Somalia, and they treated us well, but now we are treating them badly.
“I for one will protect them until I die. They have been very helpful to this community and the people know that,” he said, crying.
The wounded were all being treated at hospital.
Anyone with information about the incidents, or knows the whereabouts of the suspects, is urged to call the Gugulethu police on 021 684 2300 or 021 684 2324/5, or the Community Service Centre commander at 079 880 9884.
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