People in the township have been hit the hardest by the closing of spaza shops all around the township following incidents of looting.
People in the township have been hit the hardest by the closing of spaza shops all around the township following incidents of looting.
The general feeling from local township residents who spoke to Grocott's Mail was that the immigrant shop owners – often collectively referred to in the community as 'My Friend' – must return to their shops as soon as possible.
Anelise Maarman from Scott's Farm said its a struggle living without the shopkeepers. "Even if you want some thing little you have to go and buy it in town. What was done to the guys was absolutely not right," said Maarman.
"Those people were helping us a lot and even if you were short of money they would give you what you want." Rose van Vogue, also from Scott's Farm, said the shopkeepers should come back to the community. She said there is no life without them. "We only depend on one shop here now and it becomes overcrowded because everybody buys there," Van Vogue said.
"Those guys were trying to make a living with their shops. It was just criminality of our people that caused the attack," said Van Vogue. Another Scott's Farm resident, Claudine Kaiser, said the community was missing the shopkeepers and they should come back. "We miss them a lot and they should come back to the location.
Even if you want bread now you have to walk all the way to town," said Kaiser. Ntozakhe Mvana, from Tantyi, said the shopkeepers must come back to the location.
"Me personally I want those guys to come back. We are suffering here without them. There are no shops to buy even basic things like paraffin or electricity now," Mvana said.
Mugged
"We are going to be mugged now because we have to walk long distances to buy in town. We are very sad of what happened to the guys and their absence has left a huge gap. "Sometimes you just want to buy something very small and there is no option but to go to town," said Mvana.
Nomaxabiso Bete, from Tantyi, said the shopkeepers should return to the location and continue with their businesses as usual. She said it was a struggle to live without them. Bete said a better way of bringing them back is needed urgently. In Joza, people said the same thing and said the shopkeepers should return to the location.
Buyiswa Mavis Wayisi said she was renting out a flat to one of them. She said the man was helping her a lot and she was missing him now. Wayisi said she tried to protect the man when the looters came to his shop. "I tried to fight with the looters but I failed," Wayisi said. "I was very worried because he was helping me a lot.
If I didn't have money and needed something, I would go to him and ask for that thing. "He would not hesitate, but give me easily, and I would later pay when I get money," said Wayisi. She said it was criminals who had looted the shops. She said one man who was leading the looters in that part of Joza was a well known thug who lives in the area..
"He was leading the mob in all the shops that were looted here in this area. Even here in my yard he was the leader when they came to loot the shop of the guy who was renting here," he said.
Thugs
"It was strange what happened and I seriously condemn it. I want those guys to come back. Even now my kids went to buy meat at Scott's Farm because there is no shop here," said Wayisi. In Extension 9, people also blamed the looting on thugs. Akhona Plaatjie said one of the shopkeepers rented space on her property.
She said it was sad when people had come to loot that day. Plaatjie emphasised that the entire Grahamstown community depends on them. "We are suffering now and we urge that this must be sorted out as soon as possible. Their return will make a huge difference to us in the community.
"There are kids who need bread for lunch at school every day. The kids used to go and buy the bread in the morning, but now its a struggle. "Right now electricity in running out here at home and someone will have to go to town to buy it tomorrow. "If the guys were here we were going to buy the electricity now," said Plaatjie.
Ntombizanele Williams of Fingo location said the shopkeepers should come back. "We all depend on the Jackie Chan Henry store now. It becomes so full since everybody is buying there.
"My kid did not go to school the other day because there was no bread for lunch. "Those are the consequences of the looting. We are suffering and the guys must come back," said Williams.
anele@grocotts.co.za
