KUGOMPO CITY - A storm is brewing across South Africa as the unofficial 30 June deadline approaches.
The country is on a knife-edge.
Foreign nationals and law enforcement are bracing for the worst, with protests expected to reach a boiling point.
In KuGompo City, damning allegations against spaza shop owners are only fuelling tensions.
A shop owned by a foreign national was shut down after police and health officials seized suspicious products.
A Duncan Village resident claims she discovered drugs hidden in maize porridge.
Police in the area are urging the community to be patient and let the investigation run its course.
But for those who have long questioned the ties between some police officers and some foreign nationals, these assurances offer little comfort.
Anger and frustration quickly spilt over onto businesses in the CBD.
Several shops shut down on Friday, while those who defied orders were threatened for staying open.
Eastern Cape police vow these acts will not be tolerated.
Police say they take allegations of ineffectiveness in arresting instigators of violent protests very seriously.
They also warn that anyone committing criminal offences will end up in jail.
- eNCA’s Ronald Masinda reports.