WATCH | Soweto landlords given seven days to evict foreign national shop owners
Residents in Soweto are issuing seven-day eviction notices to landlords who rent space to foreign-owned spaza shops. The movement aims to reclaim the local retail sector, citing concerns over illegal immigration.
Why it matters
Illustrates rising social tensions and xenophobia regarding economic competition and immigration policy in South Africa.
Tensions flared in Dube on Monday morning when the Soweto Uprising movement and residents went door to door delivering seven-day eviction notices to landlords renting space to foreign national spaza shop owners.
The group said it is targeting shops operated by illegal foreign nationals and wants South African landlords to cut ties.
“We’re giving landlords seven days’ notice to evict Somalians from their properties. We want them out of our community,” said Soweto Uprising leader Lungi Yende.
The move came less than a week after spaza shops owned by foreign nationals were looted in the same area. The demonstrations have been linked to a directive issued on September 28 and signed by home affairs deputy director-general Thulani Mavuso. It instructed refugee reception offices to accept asylum applications from individuals, including those who entered South Africa illegally.
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