By Celani Sikhakhane
- Locals in Inanda started fighting foreign spaza shop owners last week because they say the foreigners are taking their businesses.
- The violence spread to the Durban city centre on Monday afternoon where angry protesters were seen beating foreign shop owners.
Violent protests over spaza shops brought the Durban city centre to a standstill on Monday afternoon.
People were seen beating foreign nationals during the chaos in the streets.
The trouble started last week at Maqadini Village in Inanda, north of Durban.
Locals held a meeting at the Qadi Tribal Court. They were angry and accused foreign nationals of running illegal spaza shops and killing their local businesses.
Inkosi Mqoqi Ngcobo of the Qadis spoke to his community on Friday. He asked everyone to stop fighting.
“This is a very dangerous situation that we are experiencing in my village and I call on them to calm down while we are looking at legal ways to deal with the situation,” Ngcobo said.
He said locals told him at the meeting that foreigners were taking their businesses.
The violence then spread to the city centre on Monday.
Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor in eThekwini, Sharmaine Sewshanker, said the protests put people in danger and damaged the local economy.
She said unplanned protests create conditions for crimes like looting and muggings.
“Businesses are being forced to close, revenue is being lost, and jobs are being placed at risk in a city already facing high unemployment,” Sewshanker said.
She said while residents have the right to raise their concerns, protests must be peaceful and follow the law.
Sewshanker said people who commit crimes while pretending to protest must be stopped and punished.
The DA asked the people organising the protests to make sure no one gets hurt.
The party called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) and metro police to act quickly to stop the violence and protect residents and their shops.
Pictured above: Durban traditional leader Inkosi Mqoqi Ngcobo has called for calm between foreign nationals and locals.
Image source: Facebook
