Soweto businesses: South Africans & foreigners do not share equal rights

Mediation talks are currently underway to reintegrate foreign shop owners back into Soweto.

Soweto Business Association have walked out of mediation talks with foreign nationals affected by the looting in Soweto in January, saying they will not accept that they are equal to foreigners.

The mediation talks have been hosted by the Small Business Development Ministry which has set up a task team to reintegrate foreign business owners back into Soweto.

But talks have been stalled since Friday after the South African shopowners walked out saying South Africans should be the first to get resources because they’re not equal to foreigners.

The association’s Mphuthi Mphuthi says foreigners need to take the back seat.

“We carry the green ID book. That on its own is a licence for us to enjoy first priority in anything and everything that is provided in South Africa especially by the South African government.”

Head of the South African Pakistani Association, Salmaan Khan, says there needs to be a serious change in attitude if foreign shop owners are to be reintegrated.

“By the constitution, anybody who is in South Africa has equal rights. And people need to understand that most of the world’s economy is built by foreign workers, so people should not live in potholes, they should be more broad-minded in their thinking.”

Source: EWN.co.za