GRIEVING: Murdered shopkeeper Abdul Abdi's brother Al
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
RUTHLESS gangsters shot a Somali shopkeeper in the head after he refused to give them two cigarettes.
Abdul Abdi, 28, had witnessed many gang fights while living and working in notorious Manenberg.
On Sunday at 6.30pm, moments after opening his tuck shop named Madiba’s in Renoster Walk, Abdul became the latest victim in the gang-ravaged suburb.
Abeda Allie, 36, the owner of the house where the shop is located, says two other Somalis, relatives of the deceased, were sleeping at the back of the shop when the incident took place.
She says the men were woken by the commotion, and heard Abdul chasing away the gangsters who asked him for entjies.
Customers
“Ali and Noor were still sleeping while Abdul was serving the customers,” explains Abeda.
“They said they heard this one man asking Abdul for two cigarettes and he also asked if he knew about the protection money paid in the street. Abdul told them to leave him alone and go away.”
Moments later they heard two gunshots, one hit the fridge, and the other hit Abdul in the head.
Abeda had been sleeping on the couch in her front room when she was woken up by Noor’s frantic screams.
“I heard him rattling the gate and running out to fetch a Muslim man down the road to pray for Abdul.”
Abeda says the Manenberg community is outraged by the senseless killing .
“I cannot get it over my heart, he was nice to everyone. You can’t just take people’s lives, they were working for their families.”
Abdul’s brother, who only identified himself as Ali, continued to serve customers yesterday, just hours before the Salat al-Janaza.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel André Traut says no arrests have been made yet