Sharpeville residents shut down foreign-owned spaza shops
Police are monitoring the situation after shops were looted in the area on Thursday.
FILE: Thamsanqa Mbovane/GroundUp
JOHANNESBURG - A community leader from Sharpeville says residents have shut down all spaza shops owned by foreign nationals in the township.
Police are monitoring the situation after shops were looted in the area on Thursday.
Community leader Jacob Matlaletsa said residents are angry about the growing number of foreign-owned shops in the area.
"We have a serious issue here. We don't need these people...all foreigners must leave this town, " said Matlaletsa.
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Matlaletsa said residents became angry after a local shop owner, who lived in the area, was shot dead on Wednesday.
"At the present moment all the foreigners' shops are closed... all the shops from foreigners are closed... there are no shops that are goign to operate in Sharpeville," he said.
The community leader added the spaza shops are being monitored to ensure they remain closed.
Eyewitness News has reached out to the police who still have to comment.