By Sihle Mavuso
The town of Ulundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal is tense after an anonymous business forum told all foreign spaza shop owners to stop trading in the town by Sunday 19 May.
A memo, the author of which only identified himself as “Mr Zulu,” has been widely circulated. It instructs foreign nationals to move from townships and rural areas, set up shops in the city, and compete with established businesses there.
The move to expel the foreign nationals follows a recent campaign by the people of Nquthu, who also expelled them from their town.
The Ulundi memo claimed that it represents all small business owners in the town.
It also instructed all locals renting out their properties to foreign nationals to stop doing so, and said by Monday, 20 May, no foreigners should still be trading in the historic Zulu town.
“We have already gone to the municipality to say they should stop operating by Monday,” reads the memo. “This letter is directed to all foreign nationals who trade by moving around on foot and those who have stalls at [Ulundi] Plaza.”
The Ulundi local municipality says it has identified the forum responsible for the ultimatum and is in the process of engaging with it to understand its concerns.
Pictured above: The memo with the ultimatum to foreign nationals who have spaza shops in Ulundi.
Source: Supplied
