Foreign-owned businesses in Durban’s CBD are shutting their doors ahead of Tuesday’s planned anti-undocumented foreigners marches.
Many shop owners say fears of possible looting and violence have forced them to temporarily close, despite the financial strain.
Thirty-year-old Bangladeshi national Hasan Rakib, who operates a convenience store in the CBD, has been living in South Africa for the past decade.
He says uncertainty surrounding the demonstrations has left business owners anxious and fearful.
“We are not open tomorrow because everyone is stressed about the business. If they are coming and looting, we can’t do nothing. So, we have to be safe even for our business. So tomorrow we are not open. Everyone is stressed. Even business is not good. Since last month, business is not good. We are afraid to pay the rent, our salary, everything. Business is not like before, how we were doing business before. It’s not like that now. People are scared to come outside because of March to March. We are closing shop; we are running because they are coming. If they are looting shop, where are we going to go? You don’t have anything to do, something here. We are coming from far,”
Meanwhile, 40-year-old Tanzanian business owner, Hans Salim says closing his shop has become a familiar precaution whenever anti-illegal immigrant demonstrations are announced.
“Last time they came to Point, they were entering some flats and beating some people. So normally, when something like that happens, we normally close our shops. People were a bit afraid, but now it’s like we get used to it, we get used of those, because it happened not like the first time or the third time, many times it happened. So, we know those things, when they come normally, we close our shops. Yeah, this thing is, since they started, all the businesses, they are down now. They’re down, no more business, no more business. And the rent, they’re high to pay rent, everything. So, everybody is struggling.
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