STREETS traders who were attacked by the community of Jabulani, Soweto are still reeling in shock.
This comes after residents forged ahead with the removal of foreign nationals trading outside Jabulani Mall.
Residents claimed they were fighting the undocumented foreign nationals as some of them allegedly sold drugs to young people ekasi.
The traders watched from a distance as fuming community members looted and destroyed their goods.
Concerned trader Norah Chauke told Daily Sun: "Normally when traders are removed from these premises, the JMPD are the ones to conduct such an operation. They do not just attack. They also ask if we have passports or permits. These ones just came from nowhere and started throwing our goods on the floor. They also burnt the tables we traded on," she said.
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Norah said some traders were beaten up, punched and kicked. "Some of these members were not here because they want us gone. They just wanted to take what we sell. I saw some taking our goods and packaging them well in their plastic bags," she said.
Another street hawker said they were scared of what might happen next as they still needed to make a living.
A video of street hawkers being chased away also emerged on the social media platforms. Hawkers were seen running for their lives while some saved their goods and ran with them.
Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesman, Xolani Fihla, told Daily Sun that the circulating video has been brought to their attention. He confirmed that JMPD was not at the scene.
"We are looking into the video and investigating the matter," said Fihla.
Some of the traders suspected that Operation Dudula was behind the attacks, however the group denied this.
