Letter sent to KwaMashu foreign shop-owners 'out of hand'
KZN premier, Willies Mchunu, is visiting KwaMashu today, to address simmering tensions between local and foreign shop-owners in the area.
This after the North Region Business Association sent foreign shop-owners a letter earlier this month - instructing them to close down their businesses and cease all operations by this Thursday.
The association’s secretary general, Mlungisi Mncube, describes the situation as "out of hand".
"The coming in of shops has never stopped. Since 2015, when we were told that there won't be any new shops that should be built because the place is overtraded already. As it is, we maybe have three times the number of shops that were there in 2015. Then it was said there was more than enough shops in the area," Mncube said.
ALSO READ: Some foreigners flee KwaMashu after violence
The Premier's spokesperson, Thami Ngidi says Mchunu considers the letter a serious threat and wants to resolve the issue.
"This is a matter that seems to have been extended beyond just a security or policing matter. The Premier realises that we need to have a long-term solution. That means engaging and understanding what are the issues that have led to the situation," Ngidi said.