Xenophobic violence and looting in Grahamstown

26 October 2015 | Hancu Louw Brief | Makhanda

People run away after looting a store owned by immigrants in Grahamstown. Photo by Mia van der Merwe.

About 500 shopkeepers and their family members who have immigrated from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Somalia have been forced to abandon their businesses and flee for their lives after they came under attack from residents in the greater Grahamstown area last week. There were more confirmed cases of looting this morning.

The sustained violence is now in its sixth day. The violence was sparked allegedly by six “muti” murders, five of the victims being women. Unsubstantiated allegations have been made by locals that a shopkeeper from Pakistan was involved.

According to a statement by the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM), the violence which started on Thursday was instigated by local taxi associations painting ‘They Must Go’ and ‘They Must Burn’ on their taxis.

Initially aimed at Muslims working in the town and Joza township, looting and destruction of property quickly spread to include all non-South African shopkeepers by Thursday afternoon.

Making no attempt to save shops, SAPS provided some support to shopkeepers by keeping looters at bay while the businessmen tried to leave with as much of their stock as possible.

An estimated 300 shops were looted across town, affecting mostly the township areas with the shopkeepers taking refuge at a number of undisclosed “safe houses”.

According to Patricia May of the UPM, who has been working to try and dispel the violence since last week, “the problem is that people are scared and rumours are running too strong”.

After three days of violence, an urgent meeting between the acting city manager and the mayor as well as representatives from the displaced shopkeepers was called. Police did not attend. Representatives of the displaced shopkeepers requested they not be referred to a foreigners since they are living in South Africa legally.