Most wholesalers in Town Centre was closed ahead of the anticipated June 30th protests
Image: Tracy-Lynn Ruiters
The usually bustling shopping lanes of Bellville and Mitchells Plain fell eerily silent on Monday as business owners, workers and shoppers prepared for the uncertainty surrounding the anticipated June 30 anti-illegal immigration protests.
Instead of the familiar lunchtime rush, the narrow walkways of Town Centre in Mitchells Plain and Bellville's commercial district resembled ghost towns, with the sound of footsteps echoing through largely deserted passages.
Wholesalers, furniture outlets and clothing stores that would ordinarily be packed with customers remained locked behind shuttered doors well into the afternoon, as many traders opted to wait and assess the situation before reopening.
At one wholesaler in Mitchells Plain Town Centre, the owner kept his doors closed until 12.30pm in an attempt to avoid any potential confrontation.
Bellstar Junction was like a ghost town on Monday
Image: Tracy-Lynn Ruiters
"This is what it has come to. I am documented, my family is documented, but even we are not safe because people see foreigners and then we become easy targets," he said.
The businessman explained that while he had eventually reopened, he would continue monitoring developments closely before deciding whether to remain open in the coming days.
Another shop owner said he had made the difficult decision to close completely on Tuesday.
"This is totally bad. We don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, the next day or next month. Many are not sure what is going to happen. Tomorrow we will close for the full day because we don't know what is going to happen. Is someone going to hurt us? Break our shop? So we are doing the responsible thing."
The uncertainty was also being felt by shoppers who rely on wholesalers for affordable groceries and household essentials.
One shopper said she was disappointed after finding her regular wholesaler closed when she arrived early on Monday morning.
"It was very, very quiet. It only opened midday. We as single parents are feeling this. This is affecting us as well. We can't just go to big retail stores and buy sugar. We buy R1 sugar, and these people also understand if we don't have money. They see us in. This thing is affecting our whole life, even as South Africans," she said.
In Bellville, several employees standing outside closed businesses said owners were taking the situation one day at a time.
"We don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. We will open depending on the situation, but for now most of the shops decided to close," one worker said.
Despite the deserted streets, a heavy police presence was visible throughout both Bellville and Mitchells Plain, with SAPS and City Law Enforcement officers conducting high-visibility patrols.
Several business owners said the visible deployment was the only reason they felt comfortable enough to consider reopening their stores later in the day.
The heightened security comes as authorities remain on high alert ahead of the planned nationwide demonstrations linked to calls by anti-illegal immigration groups call for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by June 30. While protest organisers have repeatedly said demonstrations should remain peaceful, growing tensions in recent weeks have left many businesses unwilling to take any chances.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Monday appealed for calm, urging protest organisers and participants to ensure that all demonstrations remain peaceful and lawful.
"We fully respect every resident's constitutional right to protest. However, this right must always be exercised peacefully and within the bounds of the law. I call on all residents to reject violence in all its forms. There is no justification for violence under any circumstances. This is not who we are as South Africans."
Winde said anyone acting outside the law should be arrested and prosecuted.
He confirmed that the Provincial Disaster Management Centre had intensified coordination between municipalities, SAPS, the South African National Defence Force and other stakeholders as contingency plans remain in place to prevent any outbreak of violence.
The provincial government said it remained in regular contact with foreign consulates and that emergency relief and humanitarian assistance would continue where necessary while supporting the voluntary repatriation process of those wishing to return to their countries of origin.
The Western Cape Government also appealed to undocumented foreign nationals to take steps to regularise their immigration status.
Meanwhile, commuters can expect public transport to continue operating as scheduled, with Golden Arrow Bus Services confirming it will run its normal services on June 30.
For many traders, however, the uncertainty remains.
As one Mitchells Plain shop owner looked across the unusually empty shopping lane, he summed up the mood shared by many businesses across Cape Town.
"We just want everyone to be safe."