A large crowd of anti-illegal immigration activists marched through Bellville on Wednesday calling for the removal of illegal foreign traders and demanding stricter enforcement of trading laws to reclaim their community.
The march was led by activist organisations March and March, Concerned Citizens, Operation Dudula and the Labour and Civic Organisation (LACO).
The group met outside the Bellville Civic Centre before marching with a police escort to hand over a memorandum at Home Affairs and the Bellville Municipality.
Siyabulela Dukumbana, a convener for Concerned Citizens, said: “We want our country back. Bellville does not belong to South Africa anymore; maybe it belongs to Somalia.”
“No one who is from outside of South Africa can open a business without investment, they first need investment then they can employ South Africans but what we see in Bellville, about 90 percent of people who are from outside of the country have a business.” Dukumbana said.
Foreign national informal trading governed by the national Businesses Act 71 of 1991, the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, and the specific Informal Trading By-laws of the local municipality.
Any foreign national with the proper documentation may do so.
In his 7 June address to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that government would look at revising certain laws and also provide support for South African informal businesses through the Spaza Shop Fund.
Nandipha Motolong from March and March, though, echoed the same sentiments and said that they believe foreigners have it “so easy”.
“We don’t know why it is so easy for foreign nationals to get permits to trade because they are not all legal in the country while our own people must struggle.”
Earlier this week, the City of Cape Town said that trading permits were issued to anyone with appropriate papers.
It said in a statement: “Foreign nationals may apply for informal trading opportunities where they have a lawful entitlement to reside and conduct economic activity in South Africa and where they submit the required supporting documentation.”
