8 Stalls Burn Down at Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra Following Clash Between Foreigners and Operation Dudula

• A clash between foreign nationals and Operation Dudula members resulted in the burning down of several stalls at Pan Africa Mall
• According to the Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services, there were no injuries reported as the result of the fire
• Authorities say they are still investigating the cause of the fire that resulted in the approximately eight stalls being burnt

JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services(EMS) responded to the burning down of stalls at the Pan Africa Mall in the Alexandra township in Johannesburg on Wednesday night, 11 May.

Initial reports indicate that the burning of several stalls is the result of a clash between foreign nationals and Operation Dudula members in the area.

Robert Muladzi, the Johannesburg EMS spokesperson says they received the call about the burning stalls at around 8:30pm. Muladzi also indicated that approximately six to eight stalls were set alight and fortunately, no injuries were reported, according to SABC News.

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According to The Citizen, it has been alleged that the stalls that were targeted belong to South Africans. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

This is not the first time tensions have risen at the Pan Africa Mall. In early March this year, Alexandra residents marched down to the mall and demanded that foreign nationals who owned shops produce legal documents indicating that they are in South Africa legally and have the right to operate their shops.

The residents also halted the operations of shops that employed foreigners until they could provide their immigration documents, according to TimesLIVE.

The altercation between the foreign nationals and Alex residents resulted in 10 people being injured.

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Heated stand off between South Africans and foreign nationals In Alexandra

Briefly News previously reported that Alexandra residents and foreign nationals had a heated face off on Monday, 7 March, 2022. Residents headed to Pan Africa Mall and demanded that foreign nationals working there should vacate the premises under Operation Dudula.

Operation Dudula is a movement that consists of a group of residents from Soweto and Alexandra who are under the impression that foreign nationals are the reason there is a high crime rate in their neighbourhoods, according to News24.

EWN reports that Operation Dudula is also opposed to the hiring of foreign nationals while the unemployment rate is so high in South Africa. In Alexandra, residents moved from shop to shop removing foreign nationals.

Source: Briefly News