The aftermath of the recent looting of foreign owned spaza shops in Soweto is an opportunity for working out ways in which foreign owned businesses can be integrated into the township economy. And this has to be done without creating an impression that there is a total takeover.
This is the opinion of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development, Ruth Bhengu.
She said: “Parliament, government and all peace-loving South Africans should unanimously condemn the criminal acts [by locals] in Soweto as well as those foreign nationals perpetuate. At the same time something needs to be done about local spaza owners being systemically driven out of business.”
Further, condemning the savagery act of people of Soweto, Bhengu explained: “In the age of globalisation, contact with foreign-owned businesses should be such that concepts as capital accumulation, savings culture, customer relations and stock accountability are enhanced. These are all traits that the country’s developmental stage requires.”
