Some traders appeared before the Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Wednesday.
The HRC is seeking to test the veracity of the allegations.
The protests over so-called fake and expired goods started in White City, Soweto.
Some community members accused foreign shop owners of selling goods that had reached their sell-by date.

The unrest spread to other parts of Gauteng, resulting in the loss of several lives.
Foreign nationals represented at this inquiry are adamant that they’re not selling counterfeited goods, saying it’s all a ploy to make them look bad.
Big metros like Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni do conduct sporadic inspections at spaza shops and they have found that the problems are bigger than the sale of expired or fake products.
City officials have reported finding people sleeping in the shops without permission to stay on the premises.
Foreign nationals say they trade under harsh conditions, especially in poor communities, where they’re made scapegoats when things go wrong.
The Consumer Goods Council and Tiger brands will make submissions on Thursday.

Source: ENCA