Tension over spaza shops in Marapong

The Lephalale Police met with foreign nationals who live in Marapong last week following threats from the local community to evict them from the area.
According to W.O. Frans Mokoena the group of ten Ethiopians were all spaza shop owners whose shops were closed down during a raid by the police last year. The men who are legally in South Africa do not have permits to operate spaza shops.
According to regulation they need to apply for permits at the Lephalale municipality, but they have not done so.
Community members who have taken occupation of the spaza shops refuse to move their merchandise. The Ethiopians say they built the shops and now want to reopen them.
They have offered to buy the merchandise from local traders. The community also alleges that the foreign nationals threatened them with axes and pangas. This could not be confirmed by the Le-phalale police.
One of the shops were burnt and the merchandise disappeared adding tension to the explosive situation.