Gayton McKenzie the minister of sports, arts and culture, is calling for immediate shutdown of foreign-owned spaza shops and deportation of illegal foreigners following incidents of snacks that claimed lives of learners. Photographer Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has called for closure of all foreign-owned tuckshops and deportation of undocumented foreign nationals, following the rise of incidents where learners died and fell ill after eating toxic snacks bought at these spaza shops.
Recent incidents, including the one in Naledi in Soweto, that claimed six lives of learners after eating contaminated snacks that sparked outrage and food safety concern.
In a separate incident in Sharpville, Bronkhorstspruit, six children were admitted to hospital after consuming allegedly expired snacks from a local spaza shop.
Additionally, 47 learners from Ralepogo Primary School in New Eersterust, Pretoria, were discharged from various hospitals after being treated for suspected food poisoning, while more than 70 Grade 12 learners from various schools in West Rand also received medical treatment for similar symptoms.
In Limpopo, 35 learners from Makahlule Primary School in Malamulele were also treated for food-related illnesses.
Following the incidents that have raised questions about food safety concerns and spaza shops compliance, McKenzie took to X (formerly known as Twitter) expressing that foreign-owned tuckshops must be shut down immediately.
McKenzie, who is the leader of Patriotic Alliance (PA) and is known for his strong stance on undocumented foreign nationals and his demands for their deportation.
We need to close all these shops, we can’t be debating this matter anymore, this shops should be closed and owners arrested to be deported. What more do we want to see? More children dying ?
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) October 20, 2024
“We need to close all these shops, we can’t be debating this matter anymore, these shops should be closed and owners arrested to be deported. What more do we want to see? More children dying? he questioned.
Many of his fans and followers came to his support, saying that it has to be been done urgently, while others expressed scepticism.
In another tweet, McKenzie emphasised the need for urgent government action, saying that South Africans have been exercising maximum restraint.
South Africans has been exercising maximum restraint & discipline. We are now burying our kids weekly. We as government should act and act fast before people wrongfully take law into own hands. What do we owe these illegal foreigners ? Let them go.
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) October 20, 2024
“We are now burying our kids weekly. We as a government should act and act fast before people wrongfully take law into their own hands. What do we owe these illegal foreigners? Let them go.”
McKenzie expressed his commitment to advocating for mass deportation of undocumented foreigners.
I will never stop fighting for mass deportation. I have been bringing this matter up using channels afforded to me as Minister. I must respect the Minister of Home Affairs and give him space to do his job. We will never abandon this fight Patriots.
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) October 20, 2024
“I have been bringing this matter up using channels afforded to me as a minister. I must respect the Minister of Home Affairs and give him space to do his job. We will never abandon this fight Patriots,” he wrote in another post.
In addition, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party chief whip, Mzwanele Manyi also took to X to express concern about foreign-owned spaza shops across the country.
“The issue of spaza shops owned by foreigners is worse than outdated products because they have their own fake stamps to give ‘life’ to expired food stuff. The issue is fake and expired products packaged in reputable brands.”
Manyi called for the shutdown of all spaza shops to tackle what he described as a criminal syndicate.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Department of Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile has urged illegal immigrants to leave the country.
The Star reported that on Sunday, he made the comments after there had been growing tensions between local communities and foreign nationals in townships.
He visited affected townships to “facilitate dialogue and rebuild trust” while the government established a multi-disciplinary inspection team to check compliance with health regulations and consumer protection laws.
Speaking to The Star on Sunday, Maile said that police should arrest all illegal immigrants in the country.
“Illegal people must go! How do you rationalise that? When it’s illegal it is illegal. The police must come in… what else is it that must be put to the country, they must go! They must go…The laws of the country must be adhered to. And that said I’m not in law enforcement. Police must do their work but also Home Affairs.”
“At Home Affairs, when you are illegal, then you must go. If you don’t go, you get arrested.
Maile added that the Department of Home Affairs should close South Africa’s borders.
“We must close our borders, there is no way that we want them in… We don’t want an academic explanation. If a person kills another person, they have to get locked up… We need to be aggressive with the law.”
Maile said monopolising the township economy by foreign enterprises through spaza shops was to be a priority.
This is following a rise in poisoning cases suspected to be linked to products sold by foreign-owned businesses in townships.
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