By Caryn Dolley
Thursday, September 11, 2008
This decision was taken at a meeting on Wednesday with Somali community leaders, and came as the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), the provincial government and the city council stepped up pressure to help protect the Somalis.
Mandisi Njoli, secretary of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) in Khayelitsha, which sent out the letters with the association, said it had been decided at the meeting to "suspend" the "demands" that the Somalis close their businesses.
The letter, sent out last month, told Somali shopkeepers they "must" close their businesses for three weeks while their "existence in our communities is being discussed".
Njoli said another meeting would be held on Friday to discuss what would happen next.
"There's no more animosity," he said.
"The Somalis aren't required to close their shops any more."
But Abdul Kader Karakoos, a Somali community leader, said despite the retailers' association "changing its mind", the shopkeepers felt "uneasy" about the letters.
Police are investigating the letters.
Members of Nafcoc and the retailers' association plan to go to the Khayelitsha police station on Friday to find out about the inquiry.
Intimidation cases have been opened at the Harare and Khayelitsha police stations.
Meanwhile, the mayoral committee member for economic development and tourism, Simon Grindrod, is to hold a press conference at the Cape Town Civic Centre this morning to discuss how the city plans to ease tensions caused by the letters.
The MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Garth Strachan, said he had told Grindrod he was willing to "help traders in the Western Cape by providing support".
"It is imperative that levels of government work together with all concerned to defuse the situation and put in place support measures to regulate trading," he said.
Cosatu said it planned to hold a press conference in Salt River a 2pm on Thursday at which it would report back on a meeting it had with Somali shopkeepers, Nafcoc and the retailers' association.
An announcement on trading policy would be made at the press conference, the union federation said.
In a statement, Cosatu said it would "not allow the traders to cause dissent in communities between nationals and foreigners".
Njoli said he was "glad" that Cosatu, Grindrod and Strachan had spoken out about what was happening.
"It's good they are acknowledging us."
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Source: Cape Times, Sept 11, 2008