DUNNOTTAR, EKURHULENI – Residents of Dunnottar have intensified calls for comprehensive inspections of foreign-owned businesses following a community-led demonstration held on May 22. The protest, organized in coordination with police and immigration officials, centered on demands to verify the legal documentation and operational compliance of business operators in the area.
Tony, chairperson of the KwaTsaDuza community forum which helped coordinate the march, confirmed that law enforcement agencies participated in the verification exercise alongside residents. “We are happy in the manner in which the police and immigration have conducted this exercise because it was done in our presence,” Tony said. He emphasized that the demonstration remained peaceful, with no incidents of looting or criminal activity, adding, “I want to applaud the community for that. That shows that we are law-abiding citizens.”
Despite the orderly conduct of the operation, Tony highlighted significant challenges. Numerous foreign-owned shops were closed during the inspection window, preventing authorities from verifying the status of those managing the premises. He also noted concerns regarding the demographic shift in Dunnottar, stating that foreign nationals appear to outnumber local residents and that many lack permanent residential addresses, complicating efforts to track individuals.
The demonstration was partly motivated by the recent death of a teenager in the community. A local resident who participated in the protest expressed the community’s distress, linking broader frustrations to an unsolved homicide case. “We are grieved as the community of Dunnottar because we not only want these illegal foreigners out of Dunnottar because they have influxed our community, but they have actually committed a murder,” the resident stated. According to the resident, five foreign nationals were allegedly involved in a killing two months prior; only one has been apprehended, and the matter remains before the courts with no verdict reached.
While appreciating police engagement, the resident described mixed feelings about the operation’s outcomes. “Most of the illegal foreigners were not here when the operation was happening,” the resident observed. “To us it seems as if they were notified beforehand… this was known only by us and the police.”
When questioned whether migrants with valid documentation would be acceptable to the community, the resident maintained a firm stance. “At this point we are saying they must go, all of them,” the resident said. “We want our economy back to our hands. It has been long taken and these people are not contributing anything in our community.”
Residents allege that foreign business operators do not financially contribute to local development and claim that local entrepreneurs face barriers entering the market. According to the resident, community members have discussed establishing locally owned shops for approximately two years, but efforts have stalled because landlords reportedly favor foreign tenants who offer higher rental payments. “Our hands are practically tied,” the resident explained.
Both Tony and the local resident stressed that their objections are not directed at foreign nationals broadly. “We don’t hate our brothers and sisters, please hear me, we don’t hate them, they are Africans,” the resident clarified. “But what we hate is the illegal activities that they are doing around our neighborhood and for the mere fact that they cannot be traced.”
The community continues to advocate for unannounced, sustained compliance inspections and greater transparency from authorities regarding business licensing and immigration enforcement in Dunnottar.