The Human Rights Commission has condemned this weeks attacks on Somali-owned shops in Port Elizabeth.

Fifty-two shops were looted and three were burnt down in Motherwell and three shops were looted and one was burnt down in Kwadwesi.

HRC spokesman Vincent Moaga says the attackers must be brought to justice.

Moaga says he believes the attacks weren’t fuelled just by xenophobia but were rather caused by tensions because of poverty in the community.

Political Analyst Moeletsi Mbeki says it’s not just an issue of xenophobia.

Mbeki says the movement of larger retail shops into townships puts pressure on spaza shops which can’t compete on price.

In Johannesburg, the Greater Gauteng Business Forum has called on government to close foreign owned businesses around Soweto

Forum chair Makhosana Mhlanga says foreign owned shops have an unfair advantage because they abide by small business regulations and therefore do not pay taxes and are not regulated.