The Gauteng Department of Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile has urged illegal immigrants to leave SA.
He was expressing his assertions after there had been growing tensions between local communities and foreign nationals in townships.
Recent incidents of child hospitalisations and deaths linked to products from foreign-owned spaza shops have sparked widespread outrage, with looting and violence in some parts of Gauteng.
Studies show foreign nationals dominate the spaza shop industry, with 51.5% of shops run by non-South Africans. Local entrepreneurs face structural constraints, including limited access to credit and funding.
Maile on Sunday visited affected townships to “facilitate dialogue and rebuild trust” while the government established a multi-disciplinary inspection team to check compliance with health regulations and consumer protection laws.
Speaking to The Star on Sunday, Maile said that police should arrest everyone illegal in the country.
“Illegal people must go! How do you rationalise that? When it’s illegal it is illegal. The police must come in… what else is it that must be put to the country, they must go! They must go…The laws of the country must be adhered to. And that said I’m not in law enforcement. Police must do their work but also Home Affairs,“ Maile said.
“At Home Affairs, when you are illegal, then you must go. If you don’t go, you get arrested.
Maile added that the Department of Home Affairs should close the borders to the nation.
“We must close our borders, there is no way that we want them in… We don’t want an academic explanation. If a person kills another person, they have to get locked up… We need to be aggressive with the law.”
Maile said monopolising the township economy by foreign enterprises through spaza shops was to be a priority.
This is following a rise in poisoning cases suspected to be linked to products sold by foreign-owned businesses in townships.
Last week, six children died in Naledi, Soweto, after consuming snacks allegedly contaminated with some form of poison, while others have been in hospital.
Maile said his department would take the necessary action amid growing concerns over the risks posed by foreign-owned spaza shops.
“A key concern that has been raised about the township economy is that components of it are increasingly being monopolised by foreign nationals. This is occurring in a context where the South African economy has excluded millions of people, particularly those in townships and other historically disadvantaged areas, at the margins of economic activity.”
The Gauteng government said it could not simply shut down foreign-owned spaza shops in response to public outcry over food poisoning incidents.
Maile also spoke about the financial challenges linked to these enterprises.
While acknowledging the rise in cases of alleged food poisoning, Maile stressed that closing all foreign-owned businesses wasn’t a straightforward solution, as they are also protected by law.
The Star previously reported that 25 children from the Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School, in Zithobeni, were rushed to health facilities after complaining of stomach cramps last week.
The Gauteng Education Department said 22 learners had been discharged after treatment.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona reportedly said: “Law enforcement and health authorities are investigating the incident, to determine the safety of the products being sold by the street vendors and to prevent future occurrences.”
However, angry residents are on a mission to stop these shops from working.
On Friday, the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) called for calm and the maintenance of law and order in Gauteng as violence and looting spread across areas like Sharpeville, Hammanskraal, and Bronkhorstspruit.
Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi, the executive secretary of the ADF, addressed the situation, recognising the growing tensions between South African communities and businesses run by immigrants.
“While we acknowledge these frictions may arise, especially regarding business conduct and safety standards, it’s paramount that we do not let this spiral into racketeering and the wrongful targeting of migrants,” he stated.
Mkwananzi stressed the need for justice, saying: “We call for law and order to prevail; all migrants must adhere to the rules and laws of South Africa.”
The Star
mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za