Yesterday, at the invitation of the Kubheka family, I visited Mazwi Kubheka following his discharge from hospital. Prior to that visit, I attended the Vosloorus Police Station to request a briefing on the status of the investigation. It is concerning that upon my arrival, I was confronted by Ethiopian, Somali, and Bangladeshi nationals who were engaging with police officials as purported stakeholders. This reflects the extent to which foreign interests are gaining undue access and influence within our law enforcement processes.
At a press conference on 3 May 2026, the public was informed that two suspects linked to the Mazwi Kubheka investigation are of Ethiopian origin. This raises a critical question, on what basis does the Vosloorus Police Service grant these individuals an audience as “stakeholders”? Whose interests are they purportedly representing, when they remained silent throughout Mazwi’s month-long disappearance and made no effort to assist in locating him?
Communities across Ekurhuleni have expressed growing outrage that the South African Police Service (SAPS) continues to recognise and engage with forums of illegal foreign Spaza Shop operators, many of whom are regularly seen convening at police stations. Law enforcement should not be wasting public resources entertaining these groups.
Their priority must be to arrest, investigate, and pursue the deportation of those operating outside the law. By granting legitimacy to illegal foreign operators, SAPS is effectively sidelining the constitutional rights and economic livelihoods of South African small business owners.
It was a grave policy failure to allow control of the Spaza Shop sector to slip into the hands of foreign nationals. South Africa faces a national crisis of unemployment, with youth unemployment reaching intolerable levels. This sector should be a primary engine for absorbing young South Africans into the economy and building self-reliance at the grassroots level.
Pioneers like Mazwi Kubheka and countless other South African entrepreneurs are showing the way forward. It is the duty of society’s leaders and those entrusted with state resources to back their efforts decisively and to shield them from foreign agents who have no business operating enterprises that South Africans are fully capable of running themselves.
In the coming weeks, we will escalate our campaign with a clear, actionable plan to reclaim the Spaza Shop sector in Ekurhuleni. Our objective is unambiguous, by the conclusion of this campaign, every Spaza Shop operating in the region must be under South African ownership.
Furthermore, I will be making a substantial personal donation to Mazwi Kubheka’s business. When he has recovered and is ready to resume operations, his shop will be fully restocked and positioned to serve the community as it should, under South African hands.
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