The looting of 300 shops in Grahamstown in the past three days has left more than 300 families destitute, with no place to go and with no means to earn a living. This was the tragic picture presented by a representative of the residents, currently under police protection in a safe zone, at a stakeholders' meeting convened Friday 23 October by city officials.
The looting of 300 shops in Grahamstown in the past three days has left more than 300 families destitute, with no place to go and with no means to earn a living. This was the tragic picture presented by a representative of the residents, currently under police protection in a safe zone, at a stakeholders' meeting convened Friday 23 October by city officials.
"These are people who had to borrow money to set up those businesses. They don't have the means to get back on their feet again," he said. "They are ruined financially. Psychologically they are in a terrible state."
Many fled mobs which began a rampage in Grahamstown around 11.30am on Wednesday 21 October in Beaufort Street. Since then, groups have looted businesses – mostly cash stores and spaza shops – throughout the eastern areas of Grahamstown.
"These are not [mere]criminal attacks," the representative said. "This is xenophobia. There can be no doubt."
On Thursday a group that swelled to around 500 gathered outside the Grahamstown police station, demanding the release of 97 people arrested in the looting. Public Order Police and the Tactical Unit boosted local police as they battled an angry and unruly crowd in Beaufort Street for around four hours.
At least one shop was broken into in that area.
The city was tense yesterday, Friday 23 October, ahead of the court appearance of the 97 people arrested on Wednesday in the looting spree.
As had been the case the day before, South African Air Force helicopters flew overhead. Around the Magistrate's Court, there was a strong police presence.
Concern grew after schools asked parents to fetch their children early, and cancelled sport and extramural activities.
While Grahamstown District education department official Efese Betele said later this had not been at his department's directive, schools said it was a precautionary measure.
Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said the Grahamstown Magistrate's court completed their normal cases yesterday early and set aside special courts for the first appearance of the public violence suspects.
"Ninety seven suspects aged between 18 and 45 appeared in the Grahamstown magistrate's court," Govender said. "Two females and six males were released on warning.
"The parents and guardians of the 10 juveniles were also warned to bring the juveniles before court on Monday.
"All other suspects , 61 males and 18 females will remain in custody until their next appearance on Friday 30 October."
Govender said the situation around the court was calm as police maintained high visibility.
DA councillors arrived at Friday's crisis stakeholders' meeting having spent three hours trying to prevent a mob in Albany Road from looting a shop there.
"What I saw today was immoral," Ward 4 councillor Lena May said. "There were 400 people outside that shop in bany Road."
She said the police had assisted in controlling the mob,
Betele said the education department had noted the fact that some of those carrying out the looting had been children in school uniform, and said the department would undertake an education and conscientisation campaign at the schools.
"However, we can only control those children while they are with us. Once they're at home, it's up to their parents."
The main concern of yesterday's meeting, following the immediate well-being of the displaced residents, was how to reintegrate them into the community. The challenge became apparent, when the displaced residents’ representative said more than 500 people were being cared for in the safe zone.
Another 200 had left the area completely and were in other centres – “without papers, without money, without passports” said the representative. “
Some had fled barefoot, with only the clothes on their backs.
"They can never go back to those communities," he said.
The tragedy is that many of the displaced residents – at least 70% of those living in Grahamstown, according to the representative – have married people from here, and so in many cases, they have been forcibly separated from their families.
"Of all their concerns, that is their greatest anxiety," said the representative. "All they want is to be back together with their families in Grahamstown."
Making an impassioned plea for people to stop calling them "foreigners", he said, "We are not foreigners. We are definitely part of this community. We want to help make it work. We are here by choice and we definitely want to stay here.
"We are not here for gain. We are here to spend our lives here.
"If we have skills, we want to share them with our local brothers – we want to help uplift them.
"We want to help make this town work."
Affirming that the people displaced by the events of the past three days are residents, acting municipal manager Riana Meiring said Makana’s role was to first to render support to them in terms of its normal legislated functions. The immediate ones were traffic, fire and disaster management.
In addition, Meiring said, the Council's role was to provide a link between the joint operating committee led by the SAPS to manage the crisis, and the community. The JOC comprises representatives from organisations including the Department of Social Development, the South African National Civic Organisation and the defence force.
Meiring said their first task was to tackle head-on the rumours that led to the xenophobic attacks.
A confused cocktail of rumour was compounded into a false story that quickly spread through gossip and social media.
Judging by a story that was published around two months ago by a national media organisation, and the versions that were given to Grocott's Mail by participants in Thursday's Beaufort Street actions, the rumour was concocted using elements from serial killings in another part of the Eastern Cape that occurred several years ago; several murders in greater Grahamstown over recent months; and the fact that in one of these cases, a body dumped in the veld was then disfigured (by marauding dogs or wild animals, the police explained).
Elements of all these incidents – unrelated in time, place and circumstances – have appeared in various versions of the rumour.
The police – already stretched on Friday by the 97 suspects' court appearance, and controllling the crowd in Albany Road, were not present at the stakeholders' meeting to present the facts. However, Meiring said she had been briefed by senior police who said there is definitely no serial killer, and there were no so-called "body parts" killings occurring in Grahamstown.
One of the urgent tasks of community leaders, Meiring, and the Mayor, Nomhle Gaga emphasised, was to tackle the rumours and provide members of the community with hard facts. Councillors had a crucial role in this regard, Meiring said.
Gaga said, "This is not only Makana Municipality's problem. This is a problem that needs to be solved by Grahamstown and everyone who lives in it.
"Together we need to find a way to bring our brothers and sisters back into the community, without them being in fear."
sue@grocotts.co.za
Open letter from the Makana Anti-Xenophobic Concerned group
To: Civil society, Makana Municipality, South African Police and members of the Public
Subject: Open letter following xenophobic looting in Grahamstown
A special meeting of civil society organisations and popular movements was held today, Thursday, October 22, 2015 and convened by the Unemployed People’s Movement and the Rural People’s Movement (RPM) in Grahamstown to deliberate on the xenophobic looting, its impact and implications with a view to find lasting and peaceful resolution in defence of human and fundamental rights of the people.
Representatives from civil society noted that yesterday (21 October 2015) the town of Grahamstown which is the seat of Makana Municipality witnessed widespread looting of foreign owned shops. We the undersigned condemn this unlawful activity. The warning signs that such xenophobic looting could occur had been repeatedly brought to the attention of the SA Police Service by the Unemployed Peoples Movement and other concerned residents.
In the weeks leading up to yesterday’s looting, various deceased persons had been discovered in various parts of Grahamstown and its surrounds. These deaths are being investigated by the Police who have been less than forthcoming in explaining to the public, progress regarding the various investigations. Against this backdrop, unsubstantiated rumours and allegations have increasingly circulated within communities. We are aware that certain sectors of our broader community have been misled by such rumours and that some have sought to justify their illegal looting on the basis of such rumours and unsubstantiated allegations. Looting can never be justified.
We call upon the following parties, some of which have clear legal responsibilities, to act swiftly to protect human rights:
– The public should exercise calm and abide by the law – looting is illegal and should result in the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators. No reasons or beliefs can justify looting or injury to persons. Foreign nationals have the right to trade and live peacefully in South Africa provided they abide by the laws of the land.
– The SA Police Service to protect the lives of people, arrest and ensure that due process is followed against those implicated in criminal actions. We importantly call upon the Police to urgently provide the public with a detailed update regarding the various reported deaths that have occurred in the lead-up to yesterday’s looting;
– The Makana Municipal Council to show leadership during this time of widespread rights violation. Drastic service delivery improvement is required to meet the developmental needs of all communities;
– Civil society, Trade Unions, Civic Associations, and faith based leaders to play an influential role in calming communities and restore unity and solidarity among and between the people;
– We call upon the various taxi associations to abide by the law and respect the rights of other people engaged in building our shared economy;
– The Independent Police Investigative Directorate to assist in matters where SA Police members are alleged to have failed to fulfil their responsibilities;
– Organized business to speak out in support of those foreign owned businesses that have been severely affected by the looting;
– The NPA to prosecute those implicated in looting and other forms of violence and unlawful activity.
– School leaders to educate and inform students of the consequences of looting and other unlawful activity.
– Print and electronic media to play a role in educating the citizens to refrain from looting and respect the fundamental rights of people to trade freely and peacefully towards building the local economy.
In conclusion, we call upon the Municipality and SA Police in association with civil society, to urgently convene a public meeting of all role players so that a peaceful and long-lasting resolution can be arrived at.
Issued by Makana Anti-Xenophobic Concerned group and endorsed by :
· Unemployed Peoples Movement
· Masifunde Education and Development Project Trust
· Rural Peoples Movement
· Young Women’s Forum
· Public Service Accountability Monitor
· South African National Military Veterans Association
· Azanian Peoples Organisation
· Youth Development Movement
· Women’s Development Movement
· Farmers Development Movement
· United Front
· Inyanda National Land Movement
