DUNNOTTAR, EKURHULENI – Community members in Dunnottar staged a protest last week calling for authorities to inspect businesses owned by foreign nationals and verify the legal status and operational compliance of those running them.
The demonstration, held on May 22, was coordinated with local police and immigration officials. According to Tony, chairperson of the KwaTsaDuza community forum which helped organize the march, the operation was conducted lawfully and in the presence of residents.
“We are happy in the manner in which the police and immigration have conducted this exercise because it was done in our presence,” Tony stated. “There was no looting. There were no elements of criminality that we have experienced and I want to applaud the community for that. That shows that we are law-abiding citizens.”
However, Tony noted significant limitations to the inspection exercise. Many foreign-owned shops were closed on the day of the operation, preventing officials from verifying the status of those operating them. He also raised concerns about the high concentration of foreign nationals in the area, noting that some lack permanent residential addresses, making them difficult to track.
The protest was partly triggered by the recent death of a teenager in the area. A local resident who participated in the demonstration expressed the community’s grief and frustration.
“We are grieved as the community of Dunnottar because we not only want these illegal foreigners out of Dunnottar because they have influxed our community, but they have actually committed a murder,” the resident said, referencing an incident two months ago in which five foreign nationals were allegedly involved. “Only one was apprehended and still we are in court going through bail hearing. There is no verdict that is taken.”
While residents welcomed police involvement, the resident described mixed reactions about the operation’s effectiveness. “Most of the illegal foreigners were not here when the operation was happening,” the resident noted. “To us it seems as if they were notified beforehand… this was known only by us and the police.”
When asked whether documented migrants would be permitted to remain and operate businesses in the community, the resident indicated the community’s position extends beyond documentation status. “At this point we are saying they must go, all of them,” the resident stated. “We want our economy back to our hands. It has been long taken and these people are not contributing anything in our community.”
Residents allege that foreign business operators do not contribute financially to the local area and claim that efforts by local citizens to open competing shops have been hindered because landlords reportedly accept higher rental offers from foreign tenants. Tony and the local resident both emphasized that their concerns are not directed at foreign nationals broadly, but at illegal activities and individuals who cannot be traced.
“We don’t hate our brothers and sisters, please hear me, we don’t hate them, they are Africans,” the resident clarified. “But what we hate is the illegal activities that they are doing around our neighborhood and for the mere fact that they cannot be traced.”
The community has reportedly been discussing strategies to reclaim local economic participation for approximately two years, but says progress has been limited. Residents continue to call for sustained, unannounced compliance inspections and greater transparency from authorities regarding business licensing and immigration enforcement in the area.
