Gauteng's economic landscape is witnessing significant changes as the province announces the registration of over 21,172 spaza shops.
This initiative, spearheaded by the province's MEC for Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, aims to streamline the operation of these informal businesses, especially in the wake of alarming food safety issues that have recently emerged.
During a media briefing on Thursday, Maile disclosed that the registration process has seen 10,389 application forms submitted across all municipalities.
Notably, of these, 2,818 applications are attributed to non-South African nationals — a figure that reflects a rise of 213 since the previous report.
The registration window has now been extended until February 28, 2025, allowing even more shops to comply with local regulations.
This proactive stance comes in light of a declaration by the National Disaster Management Centre, which has classified food borne illnesses as a national disaster. Tragically, recent weeks have seen the deaths of at least 22 children due to contaminated food, with six fatalities reported in Naledi, Soweto.
Responding to this urgent public health concern, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, announced that a formal classification for a state of disaster related to these deaths was confirmed following a declaration made by President Cyril Ramaphosa who mandated that all spaza shops and food-handling entities must be registered with municipalities within a 21-day time frame.
Maile emphasised that municipalities should issue correction notices to non-compliant shop owners and hinted at the necessity for potentially demolishing structures that encroach upon critical municipal infrastructure.
In a stern warning, Maile addressed growing tensions in the community following allegations that some foreign nationals have been pressuring local spaza shop owners to shut down their businesses.
The MEC stated, “If there are South Africans who have been intimidated, can they please bring the matter to our attention? As a government, we will protect our citizens against criminality and we have a duty to do so.”
This comprehensive initiative not only highlights the government's commitment to economic development and consumer safety but also addresses community concerns by ensuring that local businesses can operate without undue pressure.
Health minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and his agriculture counterpart, John Steenhuisen, recently revealed that a chemical used as a pesticide, known as terbufos, did not come from the five licensed entities authorised to manufacture the product in South Africa.
Steenhuisen said the chemical was positively identified at three of the 84 spaza shops inspected in Soweto adding that the agricultural pesticide, which is used extensively in the citrus, maize and potato industry, is meant strictly for agricultural use.
"If one looks at the pictures of what has been found in spaza shops, it differs quite significantly from the colour and texture of locally produced terbufos," said Steenhuisen.
The Star