Cape Town – The ANC has reportedly announced plans for a major campaign to address the issue of illegal immigrants operating spaza shops in townships.
The decision followed the tragic deaths of three children in Naledi, Soweto, who consumed expired products from a foreign-owned spaza shop.
Two children have died in Vredefort, Free State, after allegedly eating snacks bought at a local spaza shop. Residents allege that the shop sold snacks to the children on Sunday. Newzroom Afrika’s @ZinikokaMhlaba has more.
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Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday at the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said that the ANC would collaborate with communities to remove illegal immigrants running these shops, particularly those selling unregulated and potentially dangerous food.
The ANC says it will be joining communities in doing away with illegal immigrants operating spaza shops.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula made the remarks at a briefing of the outcomes from the NEC meeting.#KayaNews #ANCNEC JJ pic.twitter.com/E7yL607ODT
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He clarified that the initiative was not driven by xenophobia but rather by concerns for public safety.
“The illegal unregulated food is not even negotiable, it’s illegal and it’s criminal. People must be arrested. If the communities are exposing that, the ANC must be at the helm of joining the communities.
“This has nothing to do with xenophobia, yes there are other people who have such tendencies but they are not many. If they don’t act, they will take the law into their own hands, and they will close the spaza shops in the townships,” The Citizen quoted Mbalula as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
