KRAAIFONTEIN, Western Cape — The usual morning hum of commerce was absent Thursday from Kraaifontein’s streets, where informal trading stalls stood empty and vendors stayed away following a wave of unrest involving hundreds of school pupils the day before.
Gavin Riddles, a community spokesperson, recounted that Wednesday began ordinarily, with the area densely populated by informal traders. However, between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, an estimated 800 to 900 learners from two local schools entered the streets. While the gathering initially resembled a lawful, peaceful protest, Riddles said it rapidly deteriorated when participants, carrying sticks and metal objects, began targeting traders, destroying merchandise, and creating an atmosphere of intimidation.
Approximately 382 informal traders typically operate in this zone. Many, including women who regularly sell fruit and household items, chose not to reopen Thursday. “They told us early this morning they are too scared,” Riddles explained, noting visible damage to goods and stalls. “There is a total sense of fear. People fear for their lives.”
A local resident, who asked not to be identified, shared similar anxieties. “Even us we are scared,” the resident said, adding that schoolchildren had warned adults, “you are strong you come we shall see we come back to you with our elders.” The resident questioned whether students acted alone: “Kids they know nothing about life… There’s someone behind those kids.”
One informal trader described abrupt losses: “We lost a lot of stuff yesterday because the way kids… come from nowhere, they start taking away stuff.” With no sales on Wednesday and continued fear Thursday, the trader noted that wages could not be paid. The individual also referenced broader tensions, urging that if xenophobia is a concern, solutions should allow people to leave the country safely “without hating them, killing each other, fighting each other.”
Riddles characterized the events as “urban terror” and “public violence,” stressing that legal consequences—not just school discipline—must follow. “This is a criminal activity,” he asserted. He also cautioned that outside actors may have taken advantage: “Criminal elements also exploited this… to filter in with the children. Not all the acts were by the children or learners.”
As of Thursday morning, Kraaifontein’s informal trading corridors remained largely deserted. Vendors and residents indicated they would only return once credible safety assurances are provided, leaving a vital local economy in temporary suspension.
