Extortion and targeted shootings at Somali-owned shops in Nyanga have escalated to alarming levels, forcing many businesses to close and prompting calls for urgent government intervention.

Dumisani Qwebe, secretary-general of the Nyanga Community Police Forum, said the situation has spiralled “out of control” and requires a coordinated response.

“Recent incidents include raids on shops along Ngulube Road, where some owners were shot, and further attacks at other locations in Philippi.

“About 60% of Somali-owned shops in the area are reported to have shut down due to extortion-related threats.”

Qwebe said the crisis has been building for years.

“We predicted this problem back in June 2017 and warned government officials that mechanisms should be put in place while it was still manageable. Unfortunately, the warnings were not heeded, and today it’s a full-blown crisis,” he said.

Concerns have also been raised over the safety of children in the area.

“Our biggest challenge is that we’ve got kids who are around these shops, who go there to buy items, and they might be victims of stray bullets or even struck by cars as they flee during shootings,” Qwebe added.

He urged parents to keep children safe and called on government departments to intervene collectively to restore safety and allow businesses to reopen.

Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais condemned the violence, saying: “Such brutal attacks have no place in our communities and justice must be served swiftly. I urge anyone with information to assist the police in their investigation. We need to get these criminals off our streets, as well as the firearms they are using to terrorise our citizens.”

Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that Nyanga police registered a murder and two counts of attempted murder following a shooting at a supermarket on Ngulube Road on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, at 1.27pm.

“A 40-year-old male was fatally wounded, and two others were injured. The injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Reports indicate that five unidentified males entered the shop and randomly started shooting. The motive is yet to be established, although extortion-related activity has not been ruled out,” said Van Wyk.

The suspects remain at large. Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS mobile application anonymously.

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za

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