Mkhuseli Sizani
Every month it’s the same thing.
Somali shopkeepers in Booysens Park in Gqeberha accuse police of assaulting them and stealing cash in monthly raids.
“On Saturday afternoon all our shops in the area were raided by 15 Anti-Gang Unit members in three vehicles,” shop owner, Abdi Mohamud of Chatty 11, told Scrolla.Africa.
“My shop assistant was assaulted for refusing to allow them inside my shop without my permission. They broke the doors and went inside and stole about R10,000 that was meant to pay our suppliers.”
He said the police also took their CCTV cameras.
“When we complained they insulted us and threatened to finish us off.”
Ismail Mohamed of a shop in Chatty 12 said the Anti-Gang Unit are just criminals in uniform.
“They removed our cameras and took our money. They took pictures of our vehicles and threatened to give them to the gangs,” he said.
Gang violence in the area is rife. “We don’t have firearms. Last week two of our members were shot and killed in this area.”
Mohamed said that instead of stopping gangs, the unit allows the gangs to terrorise the shopkeepers.
He said the unit comes at month-end when they have money and they have never produced a search warrant or recovered firearms in our shops.
Colonel Priscilla Naidu said police were conducting searches as well as following up on information about firearms and drugs at the shops.
“Allegations of money taken by the police are serious and the complainant must open a case so that the matter can be thoroughly investigated,” she said.
She advised the shop owners to complain in writing to the Commander of the Unit or request a meeting with him to discuss the alleged theft and intimidation.
