Disgruntled Naledi Extension residents and Operation Dudula embarked on a mission to shut down foreign-owned spaza shops in the area.
On October 8, residents went around the community, closing several Pakistan-owned spaza shops.
This action comes after five children aged younger than 10 died after eating snacks bought at a local Pakistan spaza shop.
ALSO READ: NALEDI FIVE: Residents shut down foreign spaza shops after deaths
Ward 20 community leader Bertha Zwane said that as the Naledi community, they demand permanent closure of all the Pakistan-owned spaza shops.
“We have decided that every Pakistan tuck shop must close, not temporally but permanently.
We want these people to go to their homelands. Yesterday, we went to every spaza shop owned by a Pakistani.
We spoke to the shop owners and the landlords and told them we want their spazas to close because they are unregulated.
“We wanted them to stop selling their goods by Tuesday morning, but they failed to listen to us, so that’s why we are now forcefully vacating them,’’ she said.
She added that their aim was not to loot but to ensure the Pakistani shop owners removed their poisonous goods and threw them away.
Operation Dudula’s national organiser, Davis Magolego, told the Soweto Urban News that as long as South Africans continue to give their yards to foreigners to place their stores, children dying would take time to end.
ALSO READ: Five children die after allegedly eating snacks from Naledi spaza shop
“As South Africans, we are failing ourselves because we are the ones who open our spaces to these people.
“As the community, we support their businesses while knowing they sell expired goods. Last year around this time in the same area, something similar happened.
“We were here trying to create awareness and ensuring people refrain from buying at these Pakistan-owned spazas, but here we are today, doing the same thing,” said Magolego.
He added that as Operation Dudula, they are obliged to ensure the spazas remain open but that foreign nationals do not operate them, only our people. They are in talks with corporations to help South Africans operate these spazas.
“Enough is enough. We cannot keep losing our children in this manner and fold our arms. As Dudula, we will ensure we continue spreading awareness to the country,’’ said Magolego.
