WATCH: Tsakani protest erupts over spaza shops and immigration concerns
Residents and learners in Tsakani barricaded roads and burnt tyres during a protest over alleged illegal migrants, foreign-owned spaza shops and calls for stronger law enforcement.
Residents of Tsakani and learners from Mbongeni Mgugudu Secondary School, Tsakane Secondary School and Buhlebemfundo Secondary School protested on August 4 over undocumented migrants and foreign nationals owning local spaza shops.
The residents burnt tyres and barricaded Xhosa and Ndabezitha streets where the SAPS and EMPD were visible during the protest.
Speaking to the African Reporter, the Kwatsaduza community and workers forum’s Mpumelelo Dodo said that their complaints about foreign nationals owning businesses in the area are not being heard.
According to Dodo, residents have handed over a number of memorandums demanding that undocumented migrants leave the area and foreign-owned businesses be closed and their owners leave as well.
He said that residents demanded that all businesses in Tsakani be owned by local people.
“The township’s economy should belong to us and not people who are not from this country. We are fed up now because we gave them a chance to close but they are not listening to us.
“If we have to protest the whole week for them and the police to hear our concerns, we shall do so,” said Dodo.
Dodo explained that residents want the police to do their work by having operations where they close foreign-owned spaza shops.
“These owners have security companies. When we try to close shops, the security officers appear with firearms and we are not armed, so it is not fair because the police are not willing to help us as residents,” he said.
A resident who wished to be anonymous told the publication that school children are part of the protest because of a recent incident in which a learner was shot by a security guard and is currently in hospital.
She said that parents and community members came together in support of the children demanding answers from the local SAPS on the case.
Echoing the words of Dodo, she also hopes that by the end of the protest the foreign nationals will have left the area.
“Before this protest, we went to them asking them to close shop and leave, but some boldly said that they are not going anywhere.
“With them saying that, we feel that the government has failed us because they tell us they were helped by people at home affairs,” said the resident.
Dodo shared a message to the government saying it had failed in protecting the rights of the people and the economy of the townships.
