Friday, October 14, 2011
Residents of the Jeffersville informal settlement in Atteridgeville said this after a 25-year-old woman died after being struck by a stray bullet, allegedly fired by a Somali shopkeeper.
Police were on high alert, patrolling the streets in Casspirs, Nyalas and police vans.
Unhappy residents stood in groups on street corners.
They did not want to hear anything about Somalis being in their community.
Doris Rambau was carrying her baby son, Collin, on her back when she was wounded.
It is understood she had been doing the laundry when she heard people shouting.
Rambau and several other people who share a yard went to the gate to see what the commotion was about and saw people standing in front of a Somali-owned shop.
Gauteng Civic Association chairman Jeff Ramohlala said residents had gone to question the Somali shopkeeper, to find out why he had opened his shop.
This was after all shops had been asked to close as a precaution because there was to be a community meeting and a march to the Department of Human Settlements regarding corruption in the allocation of RDP houses.
“Before the march, I went to all spaza shop owners and asked them not to open as I feared things might turn ugly and people might loot,” said Ramohlala.
“When we got back from the march, I heard people saying the guy had opened for business.
“When we asked him why, the guy pulled out his gun.”
This angered the community and they started throwing stones at the shop.
Without warning, shots were fired and the large group of people scrambled for safety.
Those who were with Rambau in the yard also ducked for cover.
Solly Selahla was with Rambau and a few others when they ran to the back for cover.
“I just heard Doris say ‘Eish’. She came to the back and kneeled down next to us. We saw blood dripping down. We quickly removed the baby from her back.”
Rambau was wounded in the side, just above her waist. After the commotion settled down, she was carried to the main road so an ambulance could reach her.
“At the main road we found police, but they did nothing to help. We waited for more than an hour for the ambulance to arrive,” said Selahla.
Police went to the shop to try to establish what was going on.
Atteridgeville police spokesman, Captain Thomas Mufamadi, said the owner told police he was opening up when he saw people approaching.
“He said they asked him why he had opened the shop and started throwing stones at him. He said he took out a gun and began shooting.”
Mufamadi said the man would be charged with murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Residents said it was not the first incident involving the shop owner.
Ali Phiri, who stays next to the shop, alleged that the man had stabbed his friend a few months ago.
“We asked the community to forgive him. But after what he has done… he must never come back here,” said Phiri.
“(Somalis) must go.”
Phiri said the man had been invited to the meeting.
“He said why should he close his shop, he is not South African.”
Phaswa Mashegoana said if Somalis were not willing to work with residents they should leave.
Rambau’s brother, Thomas Muliwas, said he had received a call while he was in Randfontein telling him she had died.
“We rushed here as quickly as possible. People told us what happened. It’s painful for us because our sister was not even near the shop.”
The family said they would let the law take its course.