Somali Traders in Cape Town Face Renewed Wave of Violence

 

Somali Traders in Cape Town Face Renewed Wave of Violence

For the fourth consecutive day, Somali-owned shops across several Cape Town townships have remained shuttered following a disturbing wave of armed attacks that left three Somali nationals dead and two others injured. The renewed violence has shaken the Somali community in South Africa and reignited calls for better protection from local authorities.

The attacks, concentrated in the townships of Philippi, Nyanga, and Khayelitsha, saw armed gangs raid and loot Somali-run convenience stores — many of which serve low-income neighborhoods. Fearful traders have since closed their businesses, fleeing for safety as the sense of insecurity deepens.

Despite the escalating violence, police have yet to announce any arrests. Somali community leaders say this lack of accountability has intensified anger and despair among the victims’ families and business owners. Representatives of the Somali community met with police officials on Saturday, urging for stronger patrols and swift investigations to prevent further bloodshed.

The three slain traders were laid to rest at the Muslim cemetery in Mowbray, Cape Town, on the same day of the attacks. Two others remain hospitalized, suffering from gunshot and stab wounds.

For Somali migrants who left their homeland seeking peace and economic opportunity, South Africa has become both a refuge and a recurring scene of tragedy. Over the past decade, Somali traders — known for revitalizing local economies through small retail businesses — have repeatedly fallen victim to xenophobic violence, often fueled by economic tensions and criminal opportunism.

“This is not the first time we have buried our people,” one Somali shop owner in Khayelitsha told reporters. “We came here looking for peace, but every few months we face the same violence.”

As the community mourns, calls grow louder for the South African government to take decisive action to end xenophobic attacks and ensure the safety of all residents — regardless of nationality.