OPERATION Dudula members were seen picketing outside the service centre in Jabulani, Soweto, on Monday morning, 18 November.
This is because spaza shop owners started registering their businesses at the centre on the same day. They blocked all foreign nationals from entering the centre to register their spaza shops.
Speaking to Daily Sun, they said the president omitted sections of the immigration law in his speech on Friday, 15 November.
Operation Dudula members are picketing outside the service center in Jabulani, Soweto. Photo by Nhlanhla Khomola.
Operation Dudula members are picketing outside the service center in Jabulani, Soweto. Photo by Nhlanhla Khomola
They believe that the township economy should be reserved for locals.
Community leader Amathandazo Mlungisi Duma said registering spaza shops will not prevent children from dying.
“These people recycle food, tamper with expiry dates, sleep in the same shop, and are dirty. They even sell expired food. Now they’re told to register their shops. How will that assist the country? Growing up, we had black-owned spaza shops, and we never buried kids because of spaza shop food,” Mlungisi said.
He said that all foreigners must leave.
As spaza shop owners register their businesses today, Operation Dudula members are picketing outside the service center in Jabulani, Soweto. Photo by Nhlanhla Khomola
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“They traveled 8 000 kilometres just to open a spaza shop in our country. They must pack and go. We don’t need their services,” he said.
Gogo Mabel Gumbi (80), who was among the protesters, said they’re tired of foreigners owning spaza shops in their community.
She said she once owned a spaza shop but was forced to close after being told she had no relevant papers to operate.
Another community leader, Botha Futhani, said foreign nationals shouldn’t be allowed to own spaza shops or even register one.
As spaza shop owners register their businesses today, Operation Dudula members are picketing outside the service center in Jabulani, Soweto. Photo by Nhlanhla Khomola
“The spazas will be registered under the names of the landlords, who will then be forced to pay tax. Our government is failing us. How can they allow outsiders to run our economy?” he said.
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