A SHOP owner was shot and killed in broad daylight in Philippi Brown's Farm on Saturday, 9 December.
The man, who was a Somalian national, was ambushed and killed while standing in front of his shop in Boston Street at Siyahlala squatter camp.
"Two men just arrived and pointed a gun at him while he was standing outside his shop. They demanded money, but he told them that he had already paid some of them. But one of them just shot him and he fell on the ground and died. It happened quickly. Some of the people who were in the shop ran away in different directions during the shooting," said an onlooker who was in the shop during the incident.
ALSO READ | Eight months of rape hell: Suspects in court!
Some other Somalian nationals who arrived at the scene after the incident claimed that the people who killed their colleague wanted a protection fee. They said it was disturbing as the deceased had already paid his protection.
"The challenge is that there are several groups that are demanding money from us. When you pay one group, the other group demands money again which makes it difficult for us to keep forking out money otherwise we end up working only for the protection fee," said a Somalian national.
Asked whether they will abandon their shops in townships, he said they cannot do that as it is their only way to survive.
Police spokesman Captain Frederick Van Wyk said the matter is still under investigation.
"Nyanga police members attended to a shooting incident in Boston Road on Saturday, where they found a man lying on his left side bleeding from the torso. According to reports, gunshots were heard and when people went to the spaza shop to investigate, the 33-year-old victim was lying in front of the shop. The attending ambulance personnel certified the victim as deceased. A murder case was opened for investigation. No arrests have been made as yet, and investigations continue," said Van Wyk.
