Kwanokuthula unrest flares up

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - An informal spaza shop owned and operated by a foreign national was set alight, while a vehicle and a barber salon were also reportedly damaged as tensions over undocumented foreign nationals escalated in Kwanokuthula on Monday 20 July.

Southern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Chris Spies confirmed that a public violence case has been opened following the incidents.

According to Spies, police responded to reports of unrest at about 19:00 after a group of people gathered in Skosana Street, where a barber shop was damaged.

"Upon arrival, the group had already left the scene," Spies said. The group was later spotted in Thomas Road, also in Kwanokuthula.

It was subsequently reported that an informal container structure operating as a spaza shop had been set alight and vehicles in the vicinity pelted with stones, causing damage.

Public Order Police were immediately deployed to the area to restore order and the group eventually dispersed.

No injuries have been reported in connection with the incidents. Police have not yet confirmed the full extent of the damage to the affected businesses and vehicles, and no arrests had been made at the time of publication. A public violence docket has been registered and detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the unrest.

The incident comes amid ongoing tensions in parts of Kwanokuthula, where some residents have continued to raise concerns over alleged undocumented foreign nationals operating businesses in the area.

Community members have previously called for stricter enforcement of immigration laws, while authorities have repeatedly urged residents to allow law enforcement agencies to deal with immigration-related matters through the proper legal processes.

Spies confirmed that Public Order Police remain deployed in Plettenberg Bay to monitor the situation until it has stabilised.

Police have appealed to members of the public to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands while the investigation continues.

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