Cape Town — The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said all spaza shops in South Africa will be under inspection, not just foreign-owned ones.
Ntshavheni briefed the media on Thursday to discuss the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting and spoke about the issue of corruption when it comes to the registration of spaza shops. She said spaza shop owners are under pressure to register their businesses following President Ramaphosa’s directive on Friday, November 15, The Citizen reported.
Allegations have arisen that South African citizens are registering spaza shops on behalf of foreigners, which Ntshavheni warned against.
“The people who are registering spaza shops are not only foreign nationals. Everyone who owns a spaza shop, [or] food handling facility must register with the municipalities,” said Ntshavheni.
“If you are going to be used by a foreign national who is illegal in the country, to register a spaza shop, you should know that we are going to come for you. Law enforcement is also going to come for you. You should also know that Sars will also come for you to collect because we expect you to be running that business,” she continued.
She said that the Departments of Small Business Development and Trade, Industry and Competition are going to launch a fund to support South African-owned spaza shops.
[WATCH] Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says 200,000 spaza shops have been visited, and more than 1000 spaza shops and warehouses have been closed down following the outbreak of foodborne illness cases in the country. pic.twitter.com/d7VMMFkn9y
— SABC News (@SABCNews) December 5, 2024
According to News24, Ntshavheni added that since Ramaphosa announced the interventions, at least 1 000 spaza shops, warehouses and supermarkets have been shut down in November. Nearly 200 000 spaza shops have been visited, with large quantities of stock being confiscated.
“There will be added scrutiny of manufacturers of foodstuffs and pesticide Terbufos to ensure that proper controls are adhered to. National Joint Operation and Intelligence Structures continue to coordinate the government’s response,” she said.
This fund will support South African-owned townships and rural businesses as soon as they meet the compliance requirements.
“Cabinet reminds all spaza shops and all food-handling facilities that they were required to register with their municipality within 21 days from 15 November 2024 and to meet required health standards or face closure,” she said.
“Cabinet calls on all South Africans to remain vigilant when purchasing food items, especially not to purchase items that have passed their expiry date. Let us make it our responsibility to educate our children about food safety, including teaching them to check the labelling themselves,” Ntshavheni added.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
