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A shop that was looted in Escourt, KZN
Many shops owned by foreign nationals in Estcourt in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands are closed on Saturday following Friday’s looting.
The plundering of about 10 shops is believed to be linked to 38 Ethiopian shop owners that obtained an interim interdict against the municipality that they be allowed to trade lawfully.
Cellphone shop owner -Tharik Mehmood says people tried to break into his shop twice in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The 50-year-old shop owner says he feels very insecure at the moment, and he is not sure what the future holds for him and his family.
Video| Foreign-owned shops looted in Estcourt
Meanwhile, leader of the Pakistani community in Estcourt Shahid Muhammad has made an impassioned plea to the town’s mayor to stand by them following the looting of a number of shops
At the beginning of the month, Mayor Mduduzi Myezwa gave foreign shop owners 21 days to leave the town. According to court papers, Myezwa told foreign shop owners during a meeting that they had overrun the town and didn’t contribute to the community.
Muhammad is of a different view . . .
“No, we’re still going to request to our honorable mayor. Please, Sir, think about us too. We want to work together. We want to live here nicely as a good community. We want to build our town, Estcourt. The people must talk about town there is community staying very nicely . . . they are together.”
