WATCH | ‘Our country is full of Pakistanis’ – Mbalula says foreign nationals must not run spaza shops

Mbalula

Pietermaritzburg — ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has controversially declared that foreign nationals operating spaza and house shop should legally be kicked out.

Mbalula was speaking at a memorial lecture in honour of Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo.

Maphumulo was the president of the traditional leaders of South Africa who was killed in February 1991 during the violence that plagued South Africa at the end of apartheid

Mbalula said South Africa cannot be a free-for-all for anyone, and the government should keep the sector reserved for locals, IOL reported.

He said the spaza shop industry is worth billions of rands, run mainly by foreign nationals but the government should regulate the industry so that locals can benefit.

“Our country is full of Pakistanis and that is a problem. They are now smart, they even call themselves Maphumulos, but when you get there you realise that this is a Pakistani.

“When you ask what happened to Maphumulo, you are told that his business was taken over by this chap,” Mbalula said.

“We must legally stop that, we are in power now, we must not complain as if we are not in power,” he said, getting a round of applause from the people who attended the gathering.

Mbalula also addressed traditional leaders and warned them to safeguard against political influence because they are dishonest, TimesLIVE said.

“Don’t be used and misled by political leaders because they are dishonest. You are not elected in conference so stand for truth,” Mbalula said.

He also asked religious leaders to “pray for us (politicians) to do the right thing”, and reiterated that corruption robbed communities of service delivery and traditional leaders must hold political leaders accountable with no fear.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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