A bloody struggle over Gauteng’s East Rand’s township economy is brewing, and some South Africans have lost their lives trying to wrestle back the multimillion-rand spaza shop industry from foreign nationals.
Tensions between locals and foreign nationals in Ratanda, Heidelberg, reached a crescendo in February and May when four people were murdered in the township, east of Johannesburg.
This came after foreign nationals were driven out of the area after they were accused of selling expired perishables to the community.
Locals Happy Nyauza, his cousin Nkosinathi Ngondo, Mandla Ncoco, Moeketsi Mollo and Veli Ntombela were murdered during this period, allegedly after refusing to release their hold on the shops which they operated in the East Rand township.
Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said six people have been killed in the township over two months and that no arrests had been made in relation to the murders.
“Police are investigating six counts of murder in Ratanda. No arrests have been made while investigations are on going. We urge anyone with information (about the murders) that could lead to arrests to come forth,” said Masondo.
A police source close to the investigations told TimesLIVE Premium that four were killed using similar modus operandi.
“They were killed during load-shedding, either at their places of residence or in their shops. The assailants would either break into their homes or would go to their shops under the pretence of being customers before gunning them down,” said the source.
In late 2023, residents forced foreign nationals who operated spaza shops in their area to leave after tensions had been brewing.
Some of these shops were occupied by members of the Ratanda Spaza Shop Forum.
Bayanda Radebe, a Ratanda Spaza Shop Forum member, said the murders were committed after foreign nationals in the area attempted to return to the township.
We did not think that trying to reclaim businesses that fed families and built black families would be taken away from us by foreign nationals. Now we have to bow down to people whose origin is not known.
— Bayanda Radebe, Ratanda Spaza Shop Forum
“These members were at the forefront of our movement of reclaiming the spaza shop industry, driving out foreign nationals who operated spaza shops in this community. They were [allegedly] murdered because they refused to close down and vacate the shops that they occupied and had opened,” said Radebe.
“We saw these murders and thought that they would not continue but they did. We did not think that trying to reclaim businesses that fed families and built black families would be taken away from us by foreign nationals. Now we have to bow down to people whose origin is not known to us because they have infiltrated the fabric of our communities and refuse to leave because they see how profitable it is to run these shops in our communities,” he said.
He said these murders were committed after foreign nationals sent emissaries to them, proposing a 50/50 split of spaza shops with the locals.
“We refused because we know that giving them a footing would allow them to gain more territory in our area,” he said.
“The worst part is that our members were not killed by foreign nationals, they were killed by our own brothers who seem to have been hired guns.”
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Abdi Hassan, a Somali national who operated a spaza in the area, denied the accusation and said that they had nothing to do with the murders.
“We were forcefully evicted from our shops. We lost thousands of rand worth of stock, but we left. It's true we asked them if we could return, but we accepted their response. We did not kill anyone. We are businesspeople and just want to make a living,” said Hassan.
Foreign-owned spaza shops have become a common sight in SA’s townships, and according to Accenture Africa’s 2023 study, the industry has been estimated to be worth R178bn. More than 150,000 spaza shops exist in SA.
It is against this backdrop that tensions have risen between locals foreign nationals as South Africans attempt to tap into this lucrative market.
According to Radebe, Ratanda had 88 spaza shops that were owned by both locals and foreign nationals before the mass closures of foreign-owned shops.
“Seventy-five of these are now occupied by locals and are doing well, while 13 that were foreign-owned remain closed,” he said.
A community policing forum member who asked not to be named told TimesLIVE Premium that the issue was not as straightforward as it appeared.
“These foreign nationals do not aim to make a large profit from one store, but you find that one person owns a few spaza shops in the area, which makes it easier for them to sell items at a lower price. Local spaza shop owners have wanted to make huge margins of profit from a single store, and this is what forces them to close down their stores,” said the CPF member.
“Yes, there are concerns about the quality of foods that they (foreign nationals) sell, but they are cheaper and that is why people flock to them. The murders have been unfortunate, especially when you consider how they happen and the people who are said to be behind them — it's not foreigners but locals. You ask yourself whether locals are hired to carry out hits or whether there is jealousy among the locals themselves,” he said.
In Katlehong, also on the East Rand, Jabulani Bhembhe said he was forced to close down his spaza less than two weeks after opening it after he was told that spaza shops belonged to Somalis in his area.
“It wasn't even foreign nationals who came to me. It was Sesotho-speaking men who came to my shop and told me that I was not allowed to operate because the industry was owned by Somalis. At first, I took it lightly and continued. But they returned a week later, and this time they were armed and they said the next time they return they will not say anything,” he said.
“So I heeded their warnings and I have since closed the shop. I wanted to open a shop because I am unemployed and I want to provide for my family. I have two children that I have to support and I have not been able to provide for them,” he said.
Asked whether he had opened a case of intimidation with the police, Bhembhe said: “No. The police would not have done anything about it. I didn't even know the people who threatened me so I wouldn't know who to open a case against.”
Mpilo Nqele, a representative from Mzolo Security Company operating in Katlehong that looks after the interests of foreign national spaza shops, told TimesLIVE Premium South African spaza shop owners were not interested in forging ties with their communities and that was the reason foreign nationals were allowed to successfully operate within black townships.
“We guard about 100 foreign owned spazas in Thokoza and about 96 in Natalspruit. These people make sure that the communities they serve are taken care of. But South Africans only care about making a massive profit. We work well with these guys (foreign nationals). I know about the incidents of murders and such, but one will find that these murders are carried out by South Africans because they are probably jealous of each other,” said Nqele.
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