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Port Elizabeth, May 29 – Booysens Park residents, in Port Elizabeth, took to the streets to protest against gang members, who they say are responsible for an increase in robberies in the area. Protesters who couldn't find any gangsters turned to looting. eNCA
Port Elizabeth - A Somali shopkeeper has been killed and another has been wounded, during violent clashes with local residents in Booysens Park, Port Elizabeth.
It’s believed the Somali national who died was stoned to death, while the other was stabbed, when residents of Booysens Park clashed with members of the Somali community, this morning.

This morning, both sides were throwing petrol bombs and stones at each other.


Today's violence is an escalation of yesterday's widespread looting in which more than 15 shops owned by Somalis were trashed by locals.
The uprising is apparently a demonstration against police, whom locals say, are protecting gangsters.

Residents said they have been trying to drive a gang out of the area. It's believed that when they couldn't get to the gang, they turned on the Somalis.


Police have arrests about 10 people for public violence.

SAPS spokesman Captain Stanley Jarvis said: "It (yesterday's violence) started at 11am. They (the community) started looting spaza shops owned by foreign nationals."

"Individuals were behind the Cleary Park shopping centre burning tyres, putting obstructions in the road and throwing stones at passing vehicles," he said.

Jarvis said the crowd became "very aggressive" and police had to use rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse them.

Police were also called to Timothy Valley, where residents looted shops and barricaded roads with burning tyres.

"Sporadic incidents happened where they tried to loot certain shops... public order policing were patrolling the neighbourhood... and they assisted the Somali businessmen to unpack their goods and escort them out of Timothy Valley to a safer venue," said Jarvis.

Jarvis said Wednesday's incidents were a spillover from Greenfields and Vastrap, where police arrested three community leaders at 3am on Tuesday for the murder of two men accused of robbing a spaza shop.

After the arrested, the community started blockading roads with rocks, poles, bushes and bricks, and burning tyres, said Jarvis.

At 7.45am, the Bethelsdorp station commander addressed the crowd, but they were not happy with his advice, and his reasons for the arrests.

Jarvis said the residents started burning tyres again and throwing rocks at passing vehicles.

At 8.45pm, the police had to use rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the crowd. Twelve people were arrested.

Jarvis said the 12, five minors and seven adults, appeared in court on Wednesday. They were released on a warning.

Police were still patrolling all the affected areas on Wednesday night.

"[We are ensuring] that either property or possessions of the Somali shopkeepers are not being stolen or damaged," he said.

"We as the SA Police Service will not tolerate this type of behaviour, where a small amount of people cause anarchy in a community that is peaceful and deserves the right to be safe and secure."

There has been recent spate of violence, mostly targeted at foreign-owned shops.

qoraxeey wrote:these hungry and poor South africans are animals



and somalians are even worse for going to their country

HutuKing01 wrote:AUN
These somalis are stubborn.
They will flee after 80% of them have been killed.

ElfRuler wrote:And Somalis, we aren't in a position to call anyone savages,

hydrogen wrote:

ElfRuler wrote:And Somalis, we aren't in a position to call anyone savages,

This is a perfect example of internalised inferiority and self-hatred.