Food poisoning: Foreigners are not the problem

Blaming foreigners for the food poisoning deaths of children is crude, simplistic, populist xenophobia. It diverts attention from the deeper causes.

Foreigners are being made scapegoats for failures of a dysfunctional state. If national departments such as health, education, police and environment did their jobs properly, along with their provincial and municipal counterparts, it is unlikely that 22 children would have died and scores fallen ill.

William Gumede, associate professor at Wits School of Governance, put it eloquently in the Sunday Times: “The toxic mix of corruption, incompetence and ignorance of elected officials and public servants, combined with their lack of accountability, has led to the chronic collapse of many government departments, agencies and oversight institutions, which inevitably leads to a total governmental system failure once a tipping point is reached – which it now has in South Africa.

“Dysfunctional government is deadly. Administrative failures have resulted in rising infrastructural decay, from bridges collapsing and fires breaking out in neglected buildings to power outages, water cuts and contamination, and gas pipeline explosions.”

Toxic xenophobes who clamour for all spaza shops in the country to be owned by South Africans will fortunately be disappointed.

In his recent address to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was no evidence that the problem is confined to spaza shops owned by foreign nationals.

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“These products are just as likely to be sold in shops owned by South Africans.”

Permits issued to those who come forward to register their businesses are not limited to South Africans. Nor should they be.

For decades, foreign nationals have outperformed their local spaza counterparts.

For example, in a five-year study of 6 000 micro-enterprises in nine localities, covering about 50 000 households, the Sustainable Livelihoods Foundation concluded that “South African-owned spaza shops are less competitive than foreign-run spazas”.

Other studies have found similar trends. There are several contributing factors, including business acumen. Many foreign business folk bring entrepreneurial experience and skills learned in their home countries. Strong work ethic also plays a role.

“Foreign owners often work long hours, seven days a week, to ensure their businesses succeed”.

Their operations are frugal. Costs are kept low and finances managed effectively.

Foreign owners may be more adaptable than locals when market conditions and consumer needs change.

They show more flexibility and willingness to start small and build their businesses gradually. Having navigated difficult conditions in their home countries, they may be more resilient when faced with challenges in SA.

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Networking plays a role, with foreign owners using social networks and connections to access suppliers and customers.

This may include access to capital via home countries or diaspora networks. It was also found that many have higher levels of education and business training than locals.

They may prove to be more adept at meeting the health and safety requirements which SA officials should have been enforcing anyway.

Kicking out foreigners is not the answer. Can our state apply regulations efficiently without pandering to xenophobic politicians?