Two Killed as Foreign Shop Owners Attacked in Soweto

JOHANNESBURG – At least two people were shot dead and foreign-owned shops were looted as violence erupted in the South African township of Soweto on Wednesday, police confirmed.

“At this stage police are trying to diffuse the situation but it seems as if it will escalate to other areas,” the police spokesman for Gauteng, Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini, said.

Dlamini told Reuters one person was killed and another wounded in a shootout.

Since then, a second fatality has been confirmed by SAPS (South African Police Service); and five people have been arrested according to a News24 video report (see below).

Dlamini said it was not clear who was responsible or what started the unrest. According to some reports, the looting began following allegations that foreign-owned shops have been selling expired food and products with counterfeit labels on them.

The first man who was shot was allegedly a 23-year-old legitimate shopper Banele Qhayiso. Witnesses said the shop owner opened fire to protect himself as community members on the rampage stormed into the shop. Qhayiso’s distraught brother told Times Live: “When I got [to the scene]‚ Banele was lying by the gate of some house… He was still alive but he could no longer speak… He died in my arms.”

Qhayiso expressed disapproval of all those who have claimed they are now looting in Qhayiso’s name.

Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of high unemployment, with foreigners being accused of taking jobs from citizens and getting involved in crime.

A number of shops in Soweto are owned by nationals of other African nations including Somalis and Ethiopians, and also Pakistani and Bangladeshis. In recent years, Zimbabwean and Mozambican migrants have also been the target of attacks.

The looting today was reportedly at foreign-owned spaza shops. According to reports not only food products, but shelves and fridges were also taken by some.

Opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for calm and said: “The People must know that those who live and work in our country are here legally.”

Zakhele Mbhele – DA Shadow Minister of Police – said in a media statement: “Any form of xenophobia is unacceptable and has no place in our diverse society.

“We, therefore, call for calm to be restored and for the South African Police Service (SAPS) to act with restraint and manage the situation in a professional manner,” he said.

“Now is not the time to add to the violence by using live ammunition or overreacting.”

The DA said much of the problem is that the Department of Home Affairs is “riddled with corruption and mismanagement” which has caused the immigration system to fail, and for distrust to build among South Africans and foreign nationals.

Locals complained that there was not much of a police presence during the unrest. SAPS has said extra police officers will be brought in to Soweto this evening to restore law and order.

Source include: Reuters, DA, Times Live, News24 (below)

(Editing by Angus MacSwan and Jenni Baxter)

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