South Africans shouldn’t be used to riot against foreigners: Dr Khehlelezi

MK Party member and prominent traditional healer, Bongolethu Mzozo also known as Dr Khehlelezi, has raised the ire of many after urging South Africans to refrain from attacking foreign spaza shop owners.

This as South Africa continues to grapple with the rise of deadly foodborne illnesses.

He alleges that there are ulterior motives fueled by political wars that are using citizens to riot against foreign nationals ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

The famous herbalist has questioned why foodborne illnesses only affect children now, while spaza shops have been operating for years.

A number of homes and black families have lost children due to contaminated foods that continue to claim lives.

The children died after allegedly consuming goods that were bought from local spaza shops.

The issue has raised many questions and sparked debate amongst various quarters of society.

The government has moved to classify food-borne illnesses as a National Disaster.

The Office of the Public Protector has launched a systemic probe into the scourge.

At least 25 children have died in Gauteng as a result of food poisoning and over 400 cases have, so far, been reported in the province.

Civic movement, Save South Africa, has since called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down.

They say he has failed to prioritise South Africans.

Save South Africa’s Tebogo Mashilompane says it can no longer be business as usual.

He says Ramaphosa continues to fail to make quick and decisive decisions, especially when situations dictate that he do so.

“Even after so many children died and hundreds remain in hospital, the President decided to protect the foreign Spaza shop owners but cause the black women who are selling outside schools to starve.”

“We want to state further that Mr President, you are not glued to that chair, please, for the sake of the country just step down because you are failing to take action even when the children are killed and murdered,” he says.

EFF leader, Julius Malema, lambasted the recent spaza shop raids, asking why officials only target small businesses in townships and not big retail stores, which are also not immune to food poisoning.

He alleges that stores such as Spar and Shoprite also sell expired food.

“Anyone who sells expired food is the enemy of our people and that person must be isolated.”