Soweto landlords face seven-day ultimatum over foreign-owned spaza shops

Soweto – Residents in Dube, Soweto, have given landlords seven days to evict foreign national spaza shop operators from their properties, escalating tensions following recent anti-immigrant protests and violence in the area.

According to TimesLIVE, members of the Soweto Uprising movement and local residents went door to door on Monday, October 12, delivering eviction notices to landlords accused of renting premises to foreign-owned businesses.

“We’re giving landlords seven days’ notice to evict Somalians from their properties. We want them out of our community,” Soweto Uprising leader Lungi Yende said as per the report.

Community leader Kgosanang Moloi said the campaign was aimed at shops operated by undocumented foreign nationals, with residents seeking to reclaim the spaza shop sector.

LISTEN: Soweto residents have gathered in Dube with plans to shut down more spaza shops owned by foreign nationals.

The planned demonstration comes days after 10 vehicles were set alight in Orlando during a violent clash between Soweto residents and foreign nationals operating spaza shops in the township.
Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were deployed to the area amid rising tensions.

Police have maintained a strong presence in Dube as protesters prepare to visit the targeted shops.

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The latest action follows violence in Soweto on October 8, when clashes involving residents and foreign shop owners resulted in looting and the torching of 10 vehicles in Orlando West.

Reuters reported that similar unrest occurred in Durban, where foreign-owned shops were looted and vehicles set alight. The violence prompted the government to call for calm and warn against misinformation surrounding asylum procedures.

The protests were fuelled partly by anger over a September 28 directive issued by the Department of Home Affairs instructing refugee reception offices to accept asylum applications following a Constitutional Court judgment in July.

However, the department withdrew the directive on October 9 after reception offices became overwhelmed and concerns arose over officials’ safety and public order, according to the South African Government.

Monitoring developments 

The government has clarified that the court ruling does not automatically grant refugee status or permanent residence to undocumented foreign nationals. Rather, it requires that asylum seekers be allowed access to the asylum determination process, with their claims assessed in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, police are monitoring developments in Soweto as residents vow to return after seven days to determine whether landlords have complied with their demands.

Yende declined to predict whether Monday’s campaign would remain peaceful, telling TimesLIVE: “We cannot speak about what happened on Thursday.”

The situation highlights growing tensions over immigration and foreign-owned businesses, with authorities urging communities to pursue their grievances through lawful channels rather than intimidation, looting or violence.