A handful of foreign shopkeepers driven out of Grahamstown by xenophobic looters have re-opened their township businesses despite not feeling completely safe.
Although most residents welcomed the foreigners’ return after almost three weeks away, Bangladeshi Dream Shop owner Abir Hossan claimed yesterday he had been warned soon after he re-opened late last week that looters would return once he had properly restocked.
“Most people were happy that we are back, but some have been threatening that they will come back. We are scared,” he admitted.
Nearby Pakistani shopowner Barbar Naveed said he had waited three weeks for officials to resolve the crisis before deciding to take a chance and restock his Chema cash and carry.
“I got tired of waiting so I borrowed stock from my friend and opened again on Sunday. We are scared, doing this is a big risk.”
Naveed, like many of the 200 other displaced shopkeepers, lost all his stock, fridges and personal possessions when looters, fuelled by malicious lies that a foreigner was killing local people for body parts, cleaned him out in minutes on October 21.
Naveed, who owns the shop and lives at the premises, provides employment for seven other people from Pakistan, Malawi and South Africa.
“We could not take it any longer, after three weeks nothing changed so we decided to take a chance and open,” he said.
“There are a lot of people who rely on this shop to survive.”
Welcoming Barbar back yesterday, longtime customer and friend Khayalethu Sola said most people wanted the foreign shopkeepers back as prices at South African-owned township shops were a lot higher.
“The foreign shopkeepers help us a lot, their prices are cheaper and they even allow us to buy on credit.”
Although Naveed lost everything, he was given some good news yesterday when Sola told him that he had managed to rescue a wardrobe from the looters as well as a fridge from another shop and that he would return both.
Another customer, Alex Khalani, said it became expensive getting provisions after Naveed’s shop was looted.
He said they had to pay for a taxi trip to town to buy basic foodstuffs.
“We have been battling,” he admitted.
Foreign traders go back to G’town’s townships
Although most residents welcomed the foreigners’ return after almost three weeks away, Bangladeshi Dream Shop owner Abir Hossan claimed yesterday he had been warned soon after he re-opened late last week that looters would return once he had properly restocked.
“Most people were happy that we are back, but some have been threatening that they will come back. We are scared,” he admitted.
Nearby Pakistani shopowner Barbar Naveed said he had waited three weeks for officials to resolve the crisis before deciding to take a chance and restock his Chema cash and carry.
“I got tired of waiting so I borrowed stock from my friend and opened again on Sunday. We are scared, doing this is a big risk.”
Naveed, like many of the 200 other displaced shopkeepers, lost all his stock, fridges and personal possessions when looters, fuelled by malicious lies that a foreigner was killing local people for body parts, cleaned him out in minutes on October 21.
Naveed, who owns the shop and lives at the premises, provides employment for seven other people from Pakistan, Malawi and South Africa.
“We could not take it any longer, after three weeks nothing changed so we decided to take a chance and open,” he said.
“There are a lot of people who rely on this shop to survive.”
Welcoming Barbar back yesterday, longtime customer and friend Khayalethu Sola said most people wanted the foreign shopkeepers back as prices at South African-owned township shops were a lot higher.
“The foreign shopkeepers help us a lot, their prices are cheaper and they even allow us to buy on credit.”
Although Naveed lost everything, he was given some good news yesterday when Sola told him that he had managed to rescue a wardrobe from the looters as well as a fridge from another shop and that he would return both.
Another customer, Alex Khalani, said it became expensive getting provisions after Naveed’s shop was looted.
He said they had to pay for a taxi trip to town to buy basic foodstuffs.
“We have been battling,” he admitted.
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