WATCH| Vosloorus Residents Shut Foreign-owned Spaza Shops As Search For Missing Mazwi Kubheka Continues

Residents in Vosloorus have ramped up efforts to find missing local businessman Mazwi Mpumelelo Kubheka, who has not been seen for 26 days.

The 27-year-old was last spotted on 2 April 2026 while heading to the bank to deposit money. He never arrived at his destination.

The #BringMazwiBack campaign has gained traction online, with growing public pressure for his safe return.

Vosloorus Community Shuts Spaza Shops Amid Suspicions

On Monday, 27 April, community members took drastic action by closing foreign-owned spaza shops and blocking roads, saying businesses will remain shut until Kubheka is found.

Residents suspect possible foul play, alleging that Kubheka may have been targeted by individuals linked to a protection racket after he refused to sell his shop.

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Police have questioned two individuals in connection with the case but released them due to a lack of evidence.

Family Pleads for Help as Protests Intensify

Kubheka’s sister, Nomhle, has made an emotional appeal for information about his whereabouts.

“We don’t know what happened, but everything points to the people who were occupying space here because they are the people who are busy asking for space from the neighbours,” she said.

“I don’t know why they took my brother because they could just have asked him, they could have threatened him. The person that he is, he could have just closed the store; there was no need to take him,” she added.

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“To the person who last saw him on the 2nd of April. To anyone who has seen my brother, we are pleading, please help us bring him home.”

According to a missing persons poster, Kubheka was last seen in Marimba Gardens wearing brown high-top sneakers, blue jeans, a black hoodie with white detail, and a white cap. He also has three tattoos.

Political Support and Calls for Investigation

The protest has drawn political attention, with Herman Mashaba, leader of ActionSA, joining demonstrators outside the local police station.

Mashaba also led a delegation to Pretoria, where a memorandum was handed to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, calling for a full investigation into alleged township spaza shop criminal networks.

Kubheka had opened his spaza shop in February 2026 after community members removed previous tenants from the premises.

The shop had become a symbol of local economic participation, adding to tensions surrounding his disappearance.