ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba Hits Out at Foreign Shop Owner ‘Showing GNU Middle Finger’
- ActionSA president Herman Mashaba has expressed a clear stance on foreign spaza shop ownership in the country
- Mashaba expanded on the issue amid a scramble for spaza shop registrations following the president's directives
- Recently, the politician replied to an online clip showing a foreign shop owner parading supposed registration documents
- Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, Mashaba said his stance, albeit critical, was merely patriotic and not xenophobic
Source: Twitter
JOHANNESBURG — ActionSA president Herman Mashaba has been vocal about foreign nationals operating spaza shops in the country as his party calls for local ownership of home enterprises.
In March, ActionSA launched a campaign styled #Spaza4Locals, pushing for a shift in the status quo.
Mashaba hits out at foreign shop owner
Since then, in response to the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department's announcement that the government is considering declaring a State of Disaster amid the ongoing food poisoning cases, the party has urged swift action in finalising the process.
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It said a formal declaration was crucial for addressing the challenge and its impact to enable intensified raids on manufacturing facilities, spaza shops, and distribution networks linked to contaminated or expired goods.
More recently, Mashaba was critical of a clip of a foreign national who filmed himself dancing in his spaza and holding up what appeared to be registration documents for the business.
He wrote on Thursday, 21 November 2024, in response to the video:
“This man is showing law-abiding South Africans a middle finger. He knows the GNU [national unity] government is on his side. Let's see how [long] this arrogance is going to last.”
It comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa instructed all unregistered spazas to do so within 21 days of his address on 15 November.
His searing response was not lost on the many who replied to his post — many of whom echoed his sentiments about the perceived arrogance.
Speaking to Briefly News, the politician challenged those who construed his stance as erring on the side of prejudice against people from other countries.
“We have wonderful [legal] foreign nationals with relevant skills, of whom some are my friends from different parts of the world … this country was built on the backs of migrants,” explained Mashaba.
“How do we know he [man in the video] has the correct papers? Where is the proof he invested R5 million into business, and can he prove he came into the country legally,” he posed.
“The chances that those are fraudulent papers are excessively high, which is the basis for my [post],” he clarified.
He pointed to the GNU's supposed failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue, saying it was problematic for South Africans.
“I’m challenging any journalist or person who isn’t happy with my post to verify if the documents were legitimately acquired, that he registered with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) through the National Treasury, and that he came into the country legally?
“I don’t have any issues with foreign nationals, so long as they came into the country legally. So, those who feel my post is controversial should take me on as soon as possible.
“How can I be xenophobic for loving my country? I love my country and my people before anyone else, and I won’t be apologetic about being a patriot.”
Mashaba said the approach of registrations happening at municipal offices or elsewhere other than at spazas was incomprehensible.
“I think President Cyril Ramaphosa is taking us for fools. I cannot understand how anyone can register a business at an office elsewhere.
“If you’re serious about dealing with this matter, it should happen at the premises, and there should be an accounting officer.
"What is happening is a political gimmick. Hence, people are taking videos of themselves parading papers.”
The City of Cape Town, replying under Mashaba's, clarified that the video portrayed an application for a Certificate of Acceptability.
“If you intend to manufacture, store, distribute, prepare, transport or sell any foodstuff intended for public consumption, then you must apply,” read the reply.
Woman scolded for foreigners' spaza registration
In related news, Briefly News reported that a vexed community member in the Vaal in Gauteng took a woman to the washers and hung her to dry afterwards for seemingly trying to register a spaza on behalf of two foreign nationals.
A video showing the situation devolving at a municipal office, reportedly in Sebokeng, an area of the Vaal, was posted on the @PSFALIVE X page.
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Source: Briefly News
