McKenzie Praises Young South African Shop Owner Among Many Somali Owned Stores

Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader and Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has said he was excited to see a young South African running a shop among many Somali owned shops, in a post drawing attention as campaigning for the 4 November local government elections intensifies.

McKenzie wrote on X that he walked past many Somali owned shops on Saturday and was thrilled to see a young South African owning a shop among what he called foreigner owned shops. He added that he and his group supported the owner “greatly today”. He did not name the shop, its owner or its location.

He posted while quoting a video shared by PA supporter Kabelo Pitso. The clip shows McKenzie in a PA campaign T shirt with his arm around a young man inside a shop. Pitso wrote that the party believes in and stands behind “Real South Africans”.

Immigration is central to PA messaging. McKenzie has campaigned under the slogan abahambe, loosely translated as “they must go”, and has repeatedly called for the deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. In October 2024, he called for foreign owned spaza shops to be closed and their owners arrested and deported after a spate of food poisoning cases involving children. He has rejected claims that he is xenophobic, describing himself as patriotic.

The post lands amid heightened tension around foreign owned businesses. Marches against illegal immigration, led by groups such as March and March, have continued since early 2026. Police said 30 people were arrested after unrest that began on 8 October, 25 in KwaZulu Natal and five in Gauteng, for offences including public violence. Critics have questioned whether the movement targets illegal immigration or all foreign nationals.

The PA is contesting the elections with deputy president Kenny Kunene as its Johannesburg mayoral candidate. At Kunene’s campaign launch on 19 September, McKenzie told supporters that the party would focus on immigration.

No response to McKenzie’s post from government or Somali business representatives had been found at the time of writing.

Source: https://x.com/gaytonmck/status/2114038005615013999?s=46

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