Operation Dudula aims to evict foreign traders from Etwaswa in Ekurhuleni after a local man allegedly died at the hands of spaza shop owners who are Bangladeshi nationals.

Siphamandla Mphuthi, 28, died on August 7 after he was allegedly hit on the head with a hammer.

Tshepo Shabangu of Operation Dudula said they had responded to calls from residents to remove foreign shopkeepers from the Daveyton area because they were trying to restart their local economy and the owners were now killing locals.

Operation Dudula on deadly confrontation with foreign trader

“The young man was charged with assault by the shop owners. They asked the police to speak to the victim in order to settle the case out of court for an agreed sum.

“He dropped the case, but when he went to collect his money, they refused to pay him and instead hit him on the head with a hammer.

“We have a witness who saw all this,” Shabangu said.

Hundreds of angry community members took to the streets on Friday in the name of Abahambe, a campaign led by Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie calling for the deportation of illegal aliens.

Mpho Mphuthi, the deceased’s brother, said he was sad and angry about the manner in which his brother died. He said his brother had worked odd jobs and was “someone you could rely on”.

“He was taken to the clinic and then transferred to the hospital but died on August 14,” Mphuthi said.

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Opportunity for locals – Operation Dudula

Shabangu said people should not be afraid of the eviction of shops because this is an opportunity for locals to run and own them.

According to researcher Refiloe Joala, the role of the state in ensuring food security is not a charity but an obligation and therefore it must play a greater role.

“The right to food is recognised in our South African Constitution, even though we have no law or regulation to promote the implementation of this human right.

“It is recognised in South Africa and also ratified in the UN Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Human Right to Food.”

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Social assistance is not enough

Joala said that while there are social grants distributed by the Ministry of Social Development to certain households, “the scale of these programs does not match the demand.”

“Given the very high level of food insecurity in our country and the fact that so many households also rely on social benefits, subsidies alone are not enough.

“Even child benefit is not enough to feed a single child and provide him or her with sufficient nutritious food for a month.

“In my view, the government should step in and better regulate our market in terms of food inflation, especially in basic food items, so that people do not end up in a situation where they have to sacrifice their health, well-being and nutrition for children who are more vulnerable,” Joala said.