By Buziwe Nocuze
- Foreign shop owners in Khayelitsha closed after multiple gangs demanded protection money from them.
- Residents can’t buy cheap essentials like R2 coffee combos and nappies for their children.
Since Tuesday afternoon, Khayelitsha township residents haven’t been able to get their coffee combo after foreign nationals closed their shops in the Site C area of Cape Town due to extortion.
Mandisa Green, a resident, woke up on Wednesday morning to buy a coffee combo, which includes coffee, powdered milk and sugar. Each bunch costs R2.
“I was shocked to find the shop closed. I was there to get a coffee combo, I had R10 and was going to get all of it from that money. Some people said we must go to the supermarket at the mall, but do they sell coffee, sugar and milk for R10?” said Green.
Some residents couldn’t even get nappies for their children.
“I heard that they decided to close because they are paying protection fees to more than two groups, something they described as unfair because they won’t be able to afford to pay all the groups,” said Green.
She said those who depend on these shops to buy nappies are in trouble.
“We hope and pray that the extortionists will agree because we are the ones who are suffering. These shops are helpful to us, especially unemployed residents. But even the employed buy most of their things at these shops,” said Green.
A shop owner, speaking without giving his name, said opening their shops while there’s fighting among extortionists is putting their lives in danger.
“We have been paying one group, then a second group came and demanded money. Now, more groups are appearing, and we can’t keep up because we’d only be working for them. We wouldn’t get a cent if each group demanded R2,500 or R3,000,” said the shop owner.
They cannot refuse to pay because they risk being shot.
“Closing is the only option for us now, for our safety. If the first two groups come and we pay them, the other groups that follow won’t understand when we say we’ve already paid and have nothing left. They’ll shoot and kill us,” said the shop owner.
A community leader said they didn’t realise how much they relied on these shops until they closed.
“We need them. I don’t know what we’ll do if they decide to close for good. The shops are legal – we’ve seen inspectors visiting them. If they were illegal, they would have been shut down,” said the community leader.
Pictured above: Site C residents in Khayelitsha township are stressed by the closure of foreign-owned shops, as they can’t get their coffee combo.
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
