Operation Dudula members have been preventing undocumented foreign nationals from registering their spaza shops in Soweto because they believe these shops are harmful for the local economy and have been associated with cases of food poisoning among children.
Some Soweto residents are feeling a blend of frustration and anger in their social media posts and news coverage lately due to events like the loss of children allegedly caused by food poisoning from snacks bought at foreign owned spaza shops.
Calls for government intervention have been voiced but faces criticism of the ineffective response so far observed in addressing issues such as non-compliant foreign owned shops in Gauteng without a clear timeline being provided.
Moreover officials are facing resistance from groups like Operation Dudula while trying to register both local and foreign businesses.
Residents in Soweto have been gathering for discussions at venues such as the Kopanong Community Hall in Dobsonville regarding the issues surrounding spaza shops owned by foreigners.
These meetings demonstrate the community's efforts in tackling the matter and are often attended by local leaders or officials.
There is concern about xenophobia stemming from the targeting of foreign owned convenience stores in events by The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), in the past the SAHRC has condemned these actions as xenophobic, arguing that attributing all crimes to foreigners is discriminatory.
The current scenario is quite tense as local communities strive to protect their local economic interests while grappling with xenophobia and the rights of nationals to engage in lawful business activities in South Africa.
The continued protests and initiatives suggest that this matter is still far from being settled and carries community and political consequences.