Cape Town - They risked everything they had making the expensive journey from war-torn Somalia to South Africa. They came in search of peace, but instead they found themselves in the middle of a war.
On Wednesday afternoon, vendor Mohamad Farah, 33, and his friends defended their stalls on St George’s Mall against waves of looters after a breakaway housing protest charged through the CBD.
“This is not what we came here for. This is not why I left my wife and children behind,” he said.
On Thursday in the pouring rain, the popular mall was eerily quiet. The hundreds of vendors who can usually been seen on every corner selling their wares, stayed home, still reeling in the aftermath of the attack on their stalls. Even if it hadn’t been raining, most no longer had the goods to set up shop.
Farah’s stall was pulled apart. When the amputee and his brother tried to fend off the looters, they were pelted with full cans of cooldrink, lumps of ice and cartons of cigarettes.
“We lost everything,” he said, sitting in the room in Plein Street that he shares with his brother and three other Somalian refugees. “A total of R25 000, gone just like that.”
The loss is a massive blow. Not only must he pay rent for the stall, he also pays R800 a month for his bed and a further R1 000 for the storage room where he keeps his stock of cooldrinks, chips, cigarettes and chocolate - a store that is now empty.
“I can’t send any money to my wife and three children,” said Farah. “They need it. In Somalia you don’t get anything for free. You must pay for your house, your water, your school.”
Farah and his brother Ismail Hussein, who manage the stall together, came to South Africa with nothing. Their stall was the result of two years of hard work and raising funds.
Hussein said: “The shop will be there again. We have no choice - we have to keep going.”
Farah interjected: “But we came here for peace and we don’t ask for anything. I work for my house, I created my business. Everything we have, we made for ourselves.
“All we want is protection; we want to feel safe.”
The five Somalis plan to go home one day. Although they grew up in a country at war, they believe peace is just around the corner.
“One day, people could be running from South Africa and I think they would like to know they can find work and shelter in another country, maybe even our own,” said Farah.
James Karibe, who sells African ornaments in St George’s Mall, said he and his fellow traders were too afraid to return to work.
“They stole chips and cooldrinks, scarves, clothes and bags. Everyone is too afraid to come back - especially the Somali and Congolese people.
“I am also scared to be here because it’s a big risk.”
There was word on the street that another protest was planned for the end of this month.
“They say everyone from the age of 13 must come and demand a house. We don’t know what to do.”
Frank Agbugba, the owner of Bag It, a bag and shoe shop in Adderley Street, had his plateglass windows smashed.
“They took stock worth R35 000, which was not insured.
“Hopefully the windows will be repaired soon. If not we will re-open next week. It’s the beginning of the festive period and I can’t afford to have this happen again.
“I have staff that will be jobless if we close.”
He said they were afraid it would happen again.
“We are very afraid. We will beef up security and do whatever it takes to make sure it does not happen again.”
- Cape Argus
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