Monday 8 June 2015
Thursday 29 January 2015
Afrophobia running riot in SA townships
The recent attacks on foreign owned spaza shops will see its effect long after the dust has settled.
Images of grinning looters clutching their ill gotten gains , running past police officers, were splashed across the pages of leading newspapers.
Is it xenophobia? Methinks not!
Foreign companies remain cemented in our economy and do not experience the brunt of the angry looters. Speculation is rife that the looting was a direct result of the shooting of a teenager in Soweto.
Many looted items were on sale the very next day at intersections in the township. Whilst spaza shops were being emptied, empty pantries were being stocked up clandestinely.
Some shop owners had to bribe police to escort them to an from their spaza shops. Are we to see an exodus of foreign owned spazas from the township?
On the losing end will be hundreds of pensioners buying their daily necessities from spaza shops on account, as well as those residents without a vehicle for travelling to a fro shopping malls.
Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the successful business practices of these budding entrepreneurs actively contributing to our economy!