Johannesburg - A balaclava-clad father and his two sons, armed with assault rifles and allegedly accompanied by the police, have been blamed for sparking some of the worst riots Joburg has seen in recent months.
The men, who East African traders in the CBD refer to as “brand ambassadors”, are known to regularly raid shops and vendors in the area, ostensibly searching for counterfeit goods, but allegedly engaging in “Mafia style” operations where both men and women are regularly assaulted.
But as the traders blamed this group for triggering Thursday’s riots, in a show of force, Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba, accompanied by a heavy police contingent, promised to intensify actions to “root out lawlessness” along Raheema Moosa Street, where R80million worth of counterfeit goods were confiscated last year.
Authorities said the purpose of the visit was to meet community representatives and hear why they attacked and stoned officers.
On Thursday, law enforcement agencies and brand owners were forced to make a tactical withdrawal “to avoid a bloodbath” after they were attacked with rocks, bottles and petrol bombs by hundreds of rioters while conducting an intelligence-led operation targeting counterfeit goods in the city centre.
The police had to use rubber bullets and stun grenades to protect themselves and called in the JMPD for reinforcements. However, several traders claimed the police used live ammunition.
Ethiopian shopkeeper Tadesse Yemane showed Mashaba and Joburg community safety MMC Michael Sun a handful of spent cartridges that included 9mm and 5.56mm calibred shells, which are issued to local law enforcement.
Yemane told Mashaba of the family he blamed for inciting the violence.
“There is a certain family known as brand ambassadors. They always come with the police and loot our shops. They break our tills and assault our women. Our community is so frustrated,” Yemane said.
Another trader, who did not want to be identified, showed a picture of an X-ray of a broken arm, which he claimed was from an assault by the men.
“There’s so much video footage of these guys coming into the shops, Mafia style,” said Dr Vusi Sibanda, the chairperson of the African Diaspora Forum.
“They come in like it’s a terrorist movie, with balaclavas, creating pandemonium and shooting so people leave the shops. They come with the police on the basis that they represent companies and want to check for counterfeit products. All we see in the footage is the police destroying cameras and stuffing money into their bags.”
Sibanda explained that similar violence broke in June but authorities have failed to act.
Not a single shopkeeper or vendor, he claimed, had been arrested for selling counterfeit goods and search warrants were not produced.
Other vendors claimed the confiscated goods were sold back to them.
Vendors claimed the brand ambassadors had been raiding their premises for years.
“Recently, these visits have become more frequent. They are visiting three to four times a week, and are particularly active over weekends,” said another trader.
Mashaba and Sun urged the traders to lay criminal charges, and implored them to point out the culprits behind Thursday’s violence.
“Criminals are making a barrier between the Ethiopian community and law enforcement agencies. We understand this thing is not creating a good image for us,” said Yemane, who along with other community representatives pledged to co-operate with the city leadership.
But Sun retorted: “Don’t even speak of image. You are running chaos in our city. We are not going to sit back and tolerate it. That’s why we are here today.”
Mashaba said that the city “was against criminality” and he was pushing the Department of Home Affairs to be accountable for properly documenting “who is in the city”.
“Those who qualify must be here, those who don’t and are here for the wrong reasons must be sent back where they come from. Whether it takes a week or a month, we’ll intensify our efforts to make sure criminals are taken off the streets
“The images I saw yesterday on national TV and social media platforms were totally unacceptable. No country in the world can allow their law enforcement to be attacked in such a fashion. I’m angry because the consequences of this lawlessness are going to lead to more unemployment.
“Can you imagine those images flooded all over the world. We are looking to revitalise the city but how can we with this type of chaos?”
Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said a JMPD patrol van and JMPD Nyala were again stoned when officers arrived there.
On the street, signs of Thursday’s mayhem still littered the area: giant rocks, shattered glass and shuttered shops.
“They don’t see us as human beings,” said one trader, who did not want to be named.
“They see us as animals.”