ActionSA's Mashaba: Only South Africans should own spaza shops

JOHANNESBURG - ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said that spaza shops should be owned only by South Africans.
 
On Wednesday, Mashaba is set to lead a march in Soweto.

At least 23 children have died after eating items bought allegedly from spaza shops mostly owned by foreign nationals. Many others have been hospitalised.
 
President Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently directed business owners to register their outlets to avoid foodborne illnesses.

READ: Government's drive to register and regularise spaza shops taking shape, says Ramaphosa
 
Mashaba said that foreign nationals had taken over the local township economy. 
 
While this is difficult to track, a study in 2017 by the Sustainable Livelihoods Foundation found that at least 72% of all spaza shops in the country were foreign-owned. 

As the Johannesburg march takes place, ActionSA said plans were in place for a similar march in Tshwane.
 
The Tshwane Municipality, which is governed through an African National Congress (ANC)-ActionSA coalition, recently published a draft by-law for informal traders which, if it comes into law, would make it difficult for foreigners to run spaza shops in the capital.