Buziwe Nocuze
Somali and Bangladeshi tuckshop owners in different Cape Town townships are pleading for help to end extortion and kidnappings.
This comes as many of them are being kidnapped for ransom while others are being asked to pay protection fees of between R3,000 and R4,000 monthly to local criminals.
The tuckshop owners said if they don’t pay their shops they become the target of robberies and shop owners are often beaten.
Shop owner Abdalla Aalim told Scrolla.Africa he was excited when he got the opportunity to come to South Africa.
“It never crossed my mind that we were going to be mistreated,” said Aalim.
“We are here to make a living for our families and we are creating jobs for our South African sisters and brothers.”
He said they don’t get help from the police because the cops also ask for money.
“We don’t have money. We depend on the money we make from these shops which is not very much,” Aalim said.
Another owner said there are people who think they are selling drugs.
“A group of males came into our shop asking for money. When we said we don’t have money they said we were lying because we also sell drugs,” he said.
“We get scared when we see men in groups. We know anything can happen.” The owners have also asked community leaders and councilors to help them.
“We are also part of the community and appreciate the support we have been getting. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be heard,” he said.
“Everyone wants to get something from us. Maybe people think we have a lot of money and when we explain that we don’t, that’s when we get kidnapped or beaten and called liars.”
Spokesperson for Western Cape police Captain Frederick Van Wyk encouraged the shop owners to lay an official complaint against police officers who extort money from them for the allegations to be investigated.
“The complainants are also advised to arrange a meeting with the Station Commander to bring the allegations to his attention,” Van Wyk added.
Image source:Wikipedia
