The Star reports a horrific hatecrime against an elderly Malawian shopkeeper who has lived in Durban Deep, Roodepoort township for years: he was disembowereld, penis set alight: amidsts countrywide rioting and besieged by black mobs, foreign shopowners run for their lives while pres Zuma claims #SouthAfrica 'is a good investment'
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Thus far by 22 Jan 2015: 3 murders, 60 arrests... at least 100 shops attacked and looted countrywide: local police report that South African owned shops escape unscathed, only 'foreign owned' shopkeepers targeted. pagegrabs attached.
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Atrocity Report: Hatecrime by black mob against elderly, deaf Malawian shopkeeper: disemboweled and his penis set on fire while his shop is looted in Durban Deep township, Roodepoort:
organised youth gangs loot foreign-owned shops in townships from Komatiepoort in the North to Sharpeville and Benoni in Gauteng.
Zuma: South Africa is a good investment:
http://www.iol.co.za/the-star/sa-is-a-good-financial-investment-1.1807900
Chinese shopkeepers attacked, shops torched in Komatipoort South Africa
(Stefanie) Soweto attacks spread, cops call late-night meeting Thus far 2 deaths and 80 arrests:
Officers have been escorting frightened foreign shop-owners out of Soweto in the wake of violent protest. reported by journalists
Aurelie Kalenga & Mia Lindeque
JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Police Commissioner Lesetja Mothiba says he wants looting in Soweto ended this evening and has vowed to take action against any police officer involved in the crimes. Provincial police management held an briefing at Moroka Police Station earlier this evening, amid widespread looting, violence and running battles with more officers being sent to the township this evening.
At the same time, the South African Police Service has confirmed that looting of foreign-owned shops is taking place in Sharpeville in the south and Kagiso in the west.
Mothiba said intelligence officials were due to hold a meeting later tonight to discuss their plan of action for the whole of Gauteng.
He said troops would be sent out to cover all parts of Soweto as looting was being reported all over the township.
Earlier Mothiba said “Here is large-scale looting. We have called on additional man power. The people are not violent, all they are doing is just looting and this is not good for us as a country.”
He added the attacks were clearly aimed at foreigners. "Next to the shops of the foreigners are South African shops. I'm standing in front of one shop and a market, nothing is happening to them. So we can see there is a targeted approach to loot the shops [run by] foreigners."
However, the Congress of South African Trade Unions’s Zwelinzima Vavi says he is shocked by the commissioner's assessment.
“How does that explain what we are seeing on television? I don’t know where the commissioner lives or which planet he is speaking from.”
FOREIGNERS LEAVE SOWETO
Officers have been escorting frightened foreign shop-owners out of Soweto while parents are calling on their children to stay at home.
The excuse for the violence was the shooting of a 14-year-old who was amongst a group trying to loot the shop of foreign owner. The Somali man has been arrested for the shooting and his case has been postponed.
Two people, including the youth, have been killed and 80 others arrested following widespread looting and protests.
A shop owner who spoke to Eyewitness News said he was at a loss for words after watching his shop being packed up so that he could leave the area.
“A lot of people are coming and breaking up my shop. I don’t know what to do. I am just standing like this.”
As light rain fell in Soweto, community members said they would not leave until there was no trace of the foreign-owned business.
Meanwhile, building owners said their own income was being threatened as they depended on the rental income from the shop owners.
One resident said he witnessed a group of school children trying to loot a shop in Meadowlands.
“I saw a group of people and schoolkids, they were wanting to break down the shop.”
The aftermath of a business which was looted in Soweto on 21 January 2015. Picture: Gia Nicolaides/EWN
Earlier, a woman in Rockville was also injured when she was run over by a speeding car, driven by angry looters.
Rubber bullets have been fired on several occasions today with officers trying to disperse large crowds.
An Eyewitness News reporter was rushed to hospital this afternoon after being struck on the head with a rock during a violent clash between residents, police and foreign shop owners in Meadowlands.
ANC OFFICIALS VEHEMENTLY DENY 'XENOPHOBIA'...
The violence has been described as pure criminality by Mothiba and not xenophobia.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malubane has condemned the violence but said all criminals would be dealt with.
the MEC said eight foreigners were found in possession of illegal firearms.
“We have also found ourselves in a situation where we found owners of the shop use illegal firearms to attack those that are looting.”
Earlier she confirmed that a police officer was facing a disciplinary hearing after a video showing him participating in the looting went viral.
There’s also been strong political reaction this evening.The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF’s) Mandisa Mashego says a social solution is needed to deal with these attacks.
“We actually want to encourage residents of Soweto to discourage this kind of action. We condemn it in the strongest possible way.”
OTHER REPORTS
Het lijkt #apartheid wel: #Soweto buitenlanders door gewelddadige groepen jeugdigen aangevallen
http://www.citypress.co.za/news/looting-spreads-soweto/
Witwatersrand students demand free education
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/gallery-wits-student-funding-protest-1.1807489
#Police negligence major problem in #FarmAttack convictions: @SAHRC testimony by farm-murder widow Bernadette Hall:
http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.nl/2014/09/police-negligence-in-farm-murders-large.html
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/killed-for-a-few-loaves-of-bread-1.1806121
Anonymous trucker, 27, stabbed to death for a few loaves of bread by 1 of EIGHT black attackers
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/killed-for-a-few-loaves-of-bread-1.1806121
18 January 2015 By Caryn Dolley The Star -- A truck driver whose name was not published by the self-censoring South African Police, was murdered while making
deliveries in Somerset West, WC just for a few loaves of bread. This is the second time a bread-truck driver was attacked within two months in this area.
Police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk said the driver and a passenger were making the delivery at 4.35am when eight " robbers "approached them.
He said one of the " thieves " armed with a knife, opened the driver’s door, pulled the driver out and demanded money.
“The driver informed him that the money was in the safe and he did not have the safe keys,” Van Wyk said. The robber then stabbed the driver to death.
“The suspects took bread and fled the scene on foot,” Van Wyk said.
Two months ago it was reported that a Macassar resident was shot outside a bread distributing company in the area.
In that incident two men approached a truck parked near the business and one, armed with a gun, demanded money from the occupants, but they did not have money.
The second "robber"took their cellphones, and the duo waited for the truck driver, who apparently had money, to return to the vehicle.
A resident then walked by and begged for bread. The robbers tried to force the resident into the truck, shooting him in the stomach during a scuffle.
The robbers eventually managed to get away with cash stolen from the driver. Strangely, the police did not say whether the passerby survived the ordeal.
Anyone with information about the murder and robbery should contact the Somerset West police on 079 894 1332 or 021 850 1303.
Weekend Argus
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/killed-for-a-few-loaves-of-bread-1.1806121![]()
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