By Celani Sikhakhane
The ANC in eThekwini has rejected a proposal to investigate foreign-owned spaza shops in Durban townships.
ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango suggested the investigation during Monday’s council meeting, and speaker Thabani Nyawose put it to the vote.
Smaller parties and some EFF members supported ActionSA’s proposal, but 86 ANC councillors voted against it. Only 42 councillors supported the motion, while 46 DA members abstained from voting.
Mncwango criticised the ANC and DA, saying they failed to prioritise Durban’s citizens over illegal foreigners.
“The ANC, in particular, continues to empower illegal foreigners over South Africans, undermining the very objective of this initiative,” he said.
“This is a clear indication to the public that neither the DA nor the ANC cares about South Africans or the local economy, which has been hijacked by illegal foreigners.”
Mncwango proposed helping local entrepreneurs revive their tuck shops and buy in bulk at lower prices to compete fairly.
This follows a 2015 KZN government initiative, under then-premier Senzo Mchunu, to fund township spaza owners after complaints about competition from foreign-owned shops.
Pictured above: ActionSA councillors Zwakele Mncwango, Sne Zuma and Pastor Musa Kubheka, who championed the investigation of local spaza shops.
Source: Zwakele Mncwango/ActionSA
