NALEDI FIVE: Chaotic scenes play out as foreign-owned shops are looted
This comes after the death of five children on October 6, after it was alleged that they ate snacks that they bought from foreign-owned spaza shops.
Looting erupted outside foreign-owned spaza shops in Naledi, on October 9.
Fuming residents conducted raids around the community and several stores in Naledi have been looted.
This comes after the death of five children on October 6, after it was alleged that they ate snacks that they bought from foreign-owned spaza shops.
@sowetourbannews Naledi residents looting foreign owned spaza shops after the death of five children. #naledi #soweto #looting
ALSO READ: Five children die after allegedly eating snacks from Naledi spaza shop
“What’s happening shows how frustrated the community is. The people of Soweto want to protect themselves and their children because these are the same local spazas they buy from. The looted the food because they won’t eat it.
They’d rather damage it and ensure there is no trace of foreign products,” said national committee member of COSAS, Siphiwe Maname.
A foreign-owned spaza shop owner, who did not want to reveal his name, told the media that he does not believe that the food they sell contains any form of poison because they also consume the same food they sell.
“We sell food all over Soweto and we have never experienced such incidents in other areas. It is always this side of Naledi that always has such problems.
“In other areas of Soweto, there have never been kids who died because of our products. All the products we sell in Soweto are all the same so this incident is very confusing,” he said.
ALSO READ: NALEDI FIVE: Residents shut down foreign spaza shops after deaths
The spaza owner said that they are also human beings with sympathy, thus they will never sell food that kills people because they believe that we are one Africa and we should unite.
Police arrived at the scene to help safeguard spaza shop owners to vacate their spaza shops.
Speaking to the media, provincial police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said, “The station commander of Naledi.
ALSO READ: NALEDI FIVE: ‘Enough is enough with losing our children’
Police Station is at the station engaging with the spaza shop owners from the whole policing precinct as well as the policing forum to find a way forward so that they can be able for now to ensure that there is stability in Naledi.
“The police are engaging the spaza shops so they can move their stock and vacate the place,’’ she said.
Muridili further stated no arrests have been made and the investigations are ongoing.
