Sharpeville locals target ‘unsafe’ spaza shops

Sharpeville locals target ‘unsafe’ spaza shops

Residents of Sharpeville in the Vaal Triangle stormed foreign-owned spaza shops on Thursday in retaliation for the murder of a local shop owner.

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Shops were looted and products destroyed, which residents claimed were not safe for human consumption.

It is alleged that foreign shop owners shot and killed another shop owner, Papi Mokhema, on Wednesday.

Frustrated residents said they wanted the immediate closure of what they called non-compliant shops.

One of the residents, Tshidiso Moremoholo, told Jacaranda FM News that the protest underscores the community's disapproval of foreign shop owners.

“This is not the first time this has happened in Sharpeville, children are now getting sick at school from consuming products they purchased at these shops.

“What is making the matter worse is that these shop owners don’t want to accept it is the products they sell that cause such incidents.”

Moremoholo said there was also unhappiness over the police’s conduct, which they claimed was biased towards foreign shop owners despite residents' concerns about health and safety.

Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that five people were arrested for public violence.

The Public Order Policing and the Crime Prevention Unit arrested three foreign nationals who were found in possession of unlicensed firearms.

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