Tensions are high between locals and foreign nationals in Kwa-Thema township in the East of Johannesburg. Residents from the township and surrounding arears have shutdown their township after foreign nationals allegedly shot and killed a crane driver who was tasked by the locals to remove mobile containers used as spaza shops.

Community members started chasing out foreign nationals who owned spaza shops in the area in October last year. Yesterday, they barricaded their townships preventing the spaza owners from leaving the area. This, according to locals who spoke to ZiMoja, was so that they can avenge the death of the crane driver. "We will deal with the people who shot and killed the crane driver. He was hired by the community to root out all the containers that were used by foreign nationals as their spaza shops. We don't want them in our area and no one is going to tell us otherwise. We have been quite about their operations while our kids are dying because of the fake and expired goods they are selling in their shops," said a resident who wished not to be named. Another resident said that they will make sure that they chase all the spaza owners out. "We are aware that most of them are now going to the Langaville township. We don't want them and their businesses here, we can manage on our own. We have malls and in the past many of our people were owning spaza shops. Enough is enough, they must go," said the resident.

Community leader Tshepo Nkosi confirmed that the residents were now declaring a war on foreign nationals shop owners. "We never killed anyone. We just instructed them to shutdown their spaza shops and move out of our area. We are protesting because the community is angry after the shooting and killing of the crane driver," Nkosi said. He added that apart from the crane driver who was killed, a few community members were shot and injured. "We are going to open attempted murder cases against them. There are survivors who are willing to speak," he said. Police coud not be reached for a comment.