Case against Somali shop owner provisionally withdrawn

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Charges against a Somali shop owner, who allegedly shot dead a customer on Saturday night in New Brighton, have been provisionally withdrawn in the Port Elizabeth magistrates court.

The court found on Tuesday that there was a lack of evidence and provisionally withdrew the case.

The shooting set off three days of violence in Port Elizabeth townships and widespread looting of Somali-owned spaza shops.

Scores of people have been arrested with police promising to clamp down hard on lawlessness.

The violence has been condemned as cowardly and criminal by Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Benson Fihla and Human Settlements, Safety and liaison MEC Helen Sauls-August.