Abram Mashego and Luzuko Pongoma

Hundreds of Ekurhuleni residents took to the streets of Johannesburg demanding that the Gauteng government shut down shops owned by foreign nationals in their area.

The Ekurhuleni Concerned Residents, Business and Enterprise Forum led the march consisting mainly of small business owners and residents of townships on the East Rand.

They marched to Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane’s office to hand over a memorandum demanding that local government support businesses owned by local citizens, stop rezoning processes, halt malls from operating in townships and evict foreigners staying in RDP houses. Mokonyane’s spokesperson, Xoli Mngambi, who received the memorandum on behalf of the premier said they would respond within 14 days.

Forum spokesperson Baznaar Moloi said: “We demand a positive response within 14 days, failing which we will take drastic steps. The last time we fought was before 1994.”

Although the forum is a formation of many local advocacy groups, it is fighting to have its demands addressed and appears to be divided.

While reading out the memorandum, the leadership was disrupted by some noisy protesters who had to be called to be silent.

Moloi said they held several discussions with local government in March this year.

“We raised our concerns and held numerous meetings to express our concern over the number of illegal shops owned by foreigners. The agreement was that the government would implement the resolutions which were adopted, by July,” said Moloi.

He said this had not happened and the number of shops owned by foreign nationals, especially Pakistan and Bangladesh nationals, had tripled.

“Many of these shops do not pay taxes and do not have operating licences. And foreigners are selling expired goods below market prices, causing locally owned business to collapse,” said Moloi.

Mathapelo Maluka, who lives in Daveyton, said she had run a busy spaza shop for many years.

“ I was able to support my family and pay university fees for my daughter,” she said.

Maluka, whose business has since collapsed, said the competition was becoming very tough and that she could not to keep it operating.

“I don’t know where they buy their stock. The prices they charge could not even cover my cost price,” Maluka said.

In Daveyton yesterday, many shops believed to be owned by foreign nationals remained closed as the protests went on and no foreign nationals were around to interview.

A blue sticker painted on the wall with “South African spaza shop” identified some spaza shops in Daveyton.

abramm@thenewage.co.za
luzukop@thenewage.co.za