Los argumentos físicos que parten de una analogía con la naturaleza son más consistentes

1. What is the difference between your business and that of the South African nationals in Motherwell Township?

The views expressed were diverse. Some saw that there was no big difference. Others mentioned things including some that have been mentioned earlier. An example are items that South Africans sold but Somalis did not, customer attitudes where Somalis treated customers better than the locals, lack of availability of any kind of business assistance for Somalis particularly from the government side, South African business being insured while that of Somalis were not, South African business being more established than Somali businesses. One person indicated that South Africans businesses are owned by full citizens of this country and hence have full rights while Somali business person do not have all these privileges.

2. What do you think Somalis contribute to the economy of this country?

Paying tax and renting houses were the two most cited things when answering this question. Five people mentioned tax while four mentioned rental payment. Other things that were noted included: discounting for the customers, employment creation particularly for women, trading in the community which meant taking the basic and most needed staff to the doorsteps of the townships, skills and openness to the community, paying water and electricity.

3. How long did it take you to get Refugee status (the legal document given to refugees by the home affairs)?

Answers for this question span from someone who got the document within a week and another who was there for seven years but still did not get it. Four people stated that when they were here for three years or more and did not get it, they paid money and hence got it (one mentioned R800 and another R1000).

Only one of the eleven focus group members got the green ID. This person was in the country for six years. The rest whose period of stay in the country included two people of seven years each, one with 5 years, 6 and eight years. did not get it.

5. What type and how much impact does xenophobia have on your business?

All agreed that it had a big negative impact on their businesses. Looting and robbery were the most mentioned impacts. One stated that his business was looted and the building vandalised in 2007 while another said he had been injured during 2007 xenophobic incidence. One said that in 2007, his entirehard-earned, established business was looted and he had never recovered since then.

6. What do you think will happen to the country if Somalis leave?

All except one believed that there will be negative consequences if Somalis leave the country, particularly in the townships where they are trading. Things they mentioned included: the time they open which helped many people including school children who bought bread very early in the mornng, the long distances people might have to walk to buy a small thing, some local people losing their jobs, people losing the house rents that Somalis pay, and other facilitations people get from the Somali owned shops. One mentioned that during 2007 when many Somali owned businesses were closed in Motherwell as a result of xenophobic violences, he met with some of his customers and they asked him to come back telling him that they would protect him and no one would harm him. This was as a result of people having to travel far to and missing the kind of facilitaties he had offered tham. However, one answered that he did not think there would be any significant consequences for the country if Somalis left. He reasoned this by saying that people were in the townships before the Somalis come and Somalis had only been in the township for a few years.

7. Do you assist your customers? If yes how?

An overwelming number of respondebnts asnwered yes to this question. Ways of helping customers mentioned included: giving donations when needed such as school donations, area committee donations and donating towards funeral expenses and

orphanes. Furthermore, helping neighbouring people, forgiving customers when they were short of money and giving them credit when they needed items and had no money.

8. Do you think that the government and the police protect your life and properties as they suppose to do?

This question divided the opinions of the focus group. Five said no they did not protect them at all. Four said the government and the police did all they could to protect them. One differentiated between the efforst of the the government and the police stating that police did not do its job well but the government did all it could. And the remaining person stated that it is God (Allah) who protects them.

9. What do you think will happen to you if you go back to your home country, Somalia?

This question was less disagreeable where they all agreed that going back to Somalia could endanger their lives and expose them to be killed, injured and robbed. The reason being that there is no law and order. Some also mentioned besides the lack of security, the scarcity of life opportunities such as jobs.