TONGA, Mpumalanga — Community tensions have reached a boiling point in Tonga, near Komatipoort in Mpumalanga, as residents move to shut down several foreign-owned shops and remove street vendors from restricted areas. The grassroots crackdown is driven by growing allegations that some foreign traders are operating without proper business permits, selling counterfeit products, and distributing expired food.
Local residents claim that law enforcement has failed to protect the community, prompting them to take direct action. One community member highlighted the severe health risks, stating, “We’ve decided to close shops due to poisonous food that we find in our families. Our children are buying snacks from these foreigners and then they get sick.”
The resident further alleged that these shops harbor unwanted, expired stock and argued that foreign business operators must either seek direct approval from the local community or return to their home countries. This sentiment is fueled by claims that businesses once owned by locals have gradually disappeared, leaving many residents without vital economic opportunities.
However, foreign business owners deny the blanket allegations. A trader originally from Ethiopia who has lived in South Africa for 15 years, insists that his immigration and business documents are fully in order. While he acknowledged that not every foreign trader complies with the law, estimating that around 80 percent possess legitimate documentation and purpose, he strongly condemned the mob-like tactics used by the community.
“These people, they don’t ask for papers or documents. They just come in a group and say you must close the shop,” he explained. He emphasized that his inventory is clean and that any fair, one-by-one inspection by authorities would prove his compliance, noting that any expired items would have been from long ago and have since been cleared out.
The rising hostilities have left other compliant traders fearing for their lives. One shop owner, who confirmed having all necessary legal documents, recently closed their business preemptively. “I closed my shop because I’m afraid of these people and there is no police visibility. We might get killed,” the trader stated, highlighting a severe lack of law enforcement presence in the area.
In response to the escalating situation, the local municipality has acknowledged that some municipal bylaws are indeed being violated. However, officials strongly warned residents against taking the law into their own hands, emphasizing that regulatory enforcement and legal actions must be left strictly to the relevant authorities.
