Zimbabwean migrants flee Dudula raids in Soweto

A STREET trader ran into her house and locked herself inside and watched in trauma while a group of people wearing Operation Dudula T-shirts ransacked her vegetable stall.

For about 30 minutes, the woman, who managed to save some of her stock, stood in her shack in fear after her tomatoes, onions and potatoes were tossed to the ground as the group of men and women chanted struggle songs.

The group included residents clad in Patriotic Alliance regalia.

She came out after some members of the group had moved on to other shops and stalls.

She told Sowetan that she was from Mozambique and has been in South Africa for about 12 years and had permit documents for her stay in the country.

"I have six children. When these people came, I showed them my permits and they told me that those papers don't work. I don't even know where to start. I don't even have money to go home in Maputo, but I want to go back home because as you can see, I'm being abused here," said the woman, who did not want to be named fearing for her life.

The raids and forceful removal of migrant-owned shops began on Monday after the shooting of a man, allegedly by a shop owner, on Saturday in White City.

South Africa is home to millions of African migrants, including Zimbabweans.

Estimates indicate that at least a million Zimbabweans are residing in South Africa legally and illegally.

Over the past years, they have also been victims of xenophobic attacks and raids by members of Dudula, who accuse them of stealing their jobs.

In 2019, the Zimbabwean authorities evacuated over 200 of its nationals from South Africa following the death of two locals in xenophobic violence.

Ahead of that country's elections, some opposition parties campaigned on having Zimbabweans and other African nationals deported if they win the vote.

Last week, residents affiliated with Operation Dudula moved around and identified tuckshops in the area and removed owners who are not South African.

They would help them pack up and organise transport for them against their will.

Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dabula said communities need to feel safe.

"It's very frustrating that they are even ready to pick up guns and shoot at us. They need to leave and we will close all the shops around White City and it's not going to end here.

"We will close down all the tuckshops and talk to different stakeholders to help our people to take over," Dabula said.

During the raid, a police van and a Toyota Quantum, including a minibus with crime prevention wardens, arrived.

But they remained in their cars for about five minutes before they left and did not return.

Anna Mnisi (42), the mother of Lusanda Ngxongo (24), who was shot on Saturday during a raid of a foreign-owned shop, said her son was still in intensive care unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

"I received a call in the afternoon that my son was shot and I should rush to the clinic. When I rushed to the clinic, I was told that my son was at a hospital.

"I was told by my neighbours that after he came from work, he and his friend decided to get a drink from a shop. He spilt the drink on the floor and the shop owner got angry and shot him twice in the stomach," Mnisi said.

Police spokesperson Colonel Noxolo Kweza said they were investigating a case of attempted murder and had opened a docket.

"I can confirm that there was a person shot and injured and the person is in a stable condition in hospital," Kweza said.

About 18 tuck shops had been raided by 4pm on Thursday.

Soweto has been a hotspot for tension between locals and spaza shops run by foreign nationals.

Immigration has become increasingly politicised in South Africa since riots in major cities in July 2021.

In 2021, widespread looting took place across South Africa after the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma, which led to a nationwide shutdown and looting in Soweto.

In 2019, dozens of foreign-owned spaza shops were targeted in a widespread looting spree by residents in various townships in Soweto.

In August 2018, residents in Tshepisong, west of Johannesburg, engaged in a looting spree of foreign-owned shops after claiming they were selling expired food items.

Four people were killed during the week-long violence.