A new wave of protests has erupted in Soweto, where residents are calling for landlords to refrain from renting out their property to undocumented foreign nationals.
Image: Itumeleng English / ANAStudio
Soweto residents have intensified their campaign against illegal immigration in the township.
On Wednesday, residents in Naledi, Emndeni, Zola, and other neighbourhoods took part in a march aimed at encouraging landlords to refrain from renting out their properties, including backrooms and spaza shops, to undocumented foreign nationals.
Following a march to the Naledi police station, the residents spearheaded the campaign, closing down shops and other businesses reported to be owned and run by foreign nationals.
As marchers made their way to the home of Mamsie Radebe, who is renting out a garage operating as a spaza shop, she openly supported residents' calls urging property owners to cease renting to undocumented foreign nationals.
This comes amidst escalating tensions as community members march against businesses operated by undocumented foreign nationals, aiming to reclaim the spaza shop economy.
Mamsie Radebe, a Soweto-based landlord, says she welcomes efforts by the community calling for illegal immigrants to leave South Africa.
Image: Itumeleng English / ANAStudio
The protests, which began in Naledi, quickly spread to nearby Zola and Emndeni.
Residents gathered to close spaza shops and hair salons suspected of employing undocumented migrants.
Radebe, who has been renting out her garage for over seven years, voiced her frustrations about the difficulties of dealing with her Ethiopian tenant.
"I don’t have peace in my own property. Every day I have to deal with people who demand money from me. The people renting from me refuse to pay the agreed R4,000 and instead insist on R2,500. It’s unacceptable," she lamented.
With rising concern for her family, including her girl children, Radebe has threatened to demolish her rental unit should her efforts to evict her current tenants be unsuccessful.
"I don’t have the means to operate the store myself, but if my daughter is interested, I would prefer she run it instead of having strangers occupy it. I’d rather it be demolished; it’s dangerous to continue like this," she explained.
The protests are a continuation of previous demonstrations against illegal immigration that were held in various parts of the country last week.
Tshepo Mposula, one of the protest leaders, stated that this new campaign aims to encourage South Africans to reclaim ownership of spaza shop economies.
"Today, we visited landlords to address the issue of renting to undocumented foreign nationals. Some landlords were unavailable, but we plan to contact them through letters," Mposula said.
Among the protesters was 74-year-old Puseletso Mokoena, who attributed rising youth unemployment and drug abuse to the immigration crisis.
"My son, our country is gone. Foreign nationals surround us, and they exert control even over us as tenants. It isn’t that we hate them; we just need them to leave, she declared as she rejoined the rally with a stick in her hand.