ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba is expected to hand-deliver a memorandum to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia on Tuesday, calling for immediate national intervention in the disappearance of 27-year-old Mazwi Mpumelelo Kubheka and escalating safety concerns in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni.

Kubheka, a local spaza shop owner, was reported missing on 2 April after leaving his home to deposit money at a bank. He was last seen in Marimba Gardens and has not been found. Nearly a month later, no arrests have been made, despite police confirming that two individuals were previously questioned and later released.

Mashaba, accompanied by ActionSA national spokesperson and Member of Parliament Lerato Ngobeni, as well as members of the Kubheka family, is demanding urgent answers from law enforcement authorities. The party argues that the case highlights broader systemic failures in policing, intelligence gathering and coordination between agencies.

The disappearance has sparked growing anger within the Vosloorus community, with residents staging protests outside the local police station over the Freedom Day weekend. Demonstrators have called for the safe return of Kubheka, while also voicing frustration at what they describe as a slow and opaque police response.

According to community members, Kubheka’s disappearance may be linked to a dispute over his spaza shop. It is alleged that he had been under pressure to sell the business and refused. These claims, while not officially confirmed by authorities, have fuelled tensions in the area.

Gcina Msibi, a neighbour, said Kubheka was a hardworking young man trying to build a livelihood. “He was focused on his business and supporting himself. It is painful that someone like him can just vanish without answers,” she said.

The case has also triggered wider tensions around foreign-owned spaza shops in the township. Some residents have accused foreign nationals of being involved in criminal activities, claims that remain unverified. Community leaders have warned that such allegations risk inflaming tensions and leading to vigilantism.

There are growing concerns that some residents are now planning to shut down foreign-owned shops in Vosloorus, believing they are linked to Kubheka’s disappearance. Authorities have not confirmed any connection, but the situation remains volatile.

Mashaba, who visited the Vosloorus police station, said he would not leave until police provide sufficient feedback on the investigation. He criticised the handling of the case, saying the release of the two individuals who were questioned raises serious concerns.

“This is no longer just a missing persons case. It speaks to a breakdown of law and order and a failure to protect communities,” Mashaba said.

The Kubheka family has appealed to anyone with information to come forward, as they continue to search for answers. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on national authorities to intervene decisively before tensions escalate further in Vosloorus.

Gauteng Police have not commented on this case.