The extension of the registration period has raised concerns, particularly in communities where allegations of children dying after consuming contaminated food have emerged.
The South African government’s decision to extend the registration period for spaza shops in the country, following deadly food poisoning incidents that led to the deaths of dozens of children, has sparked mixed reactions.
On Wednesday, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Velenkosini Hlabisa announced that the registration deadline, which was set to end on Tuesday, December 17, would be extended to February 28, 2025, due to registration delays.
According to state broadcaster SABC, delays in registration were reported in several provinces. Spaza owners stated that the registration process was challenging, citing bureaucratic obstacles in municipalities as the biggest difficulty.
Lebogang Maile, a member of the Executive Council, said at a press conference on Thursday that over 25,000 registration forms had been distributed to spaza shop owners in Gauteng, but just over 10,000 forms had been returned.
‘Not Practical’
The South African Black Business Council (BBC) welcomed the extension of the deadline for spaza shop registration on Thursday, stating that the previous deadline had been impractical.
Council CEO Kganki Matabane told SABC, “We always knew that the December 17 deadline would not be practical, but as you know, you have to put pressure on the system. That’s why we welcome this… We agreed with the government that it needs to be firm so that everyone feels the pressure.”
However, the extension of the registration period has raised concerns, especially in communities where reports have emerged of children dying after consuming snacks purchased from spaza shops.
Most foreign-owned spaza shops are accused of selling expired food products that have led to fatal foodborne illnesses.
Shop Attacks
In November, foreign-owned spaza shops in Mangaung were attacked and looted, following which 47 students from a primary school were hospitalized after allegedly consuming expired biscuits and chocolates.
Veli Khumalo, President of the Gauteng Spaza Shop and Owner Forum, said on Wednesday that they would continue to work towards ensuring that illegal immigrants do not run spaza shops during the extended period.
“None of these undocumented people will own a spaza shop. We will ensure they leave, they do not qualify. However, we will assist documented individuals with refugee status in registering their shops as sellers,” Khumalo said.
The extension of the registration period has also led to a large number of reactions on social media.
“No refugee or asylum seeker should be running a spaza shop. Most immigrants applying for asylum or refugee status in RSA are illegal immigrants,” commented one user on X.
Supporting Businesses
South African officials stated in their announcement on Wednesday that while they understood the public’s concerns, they had to address these concerns due to the need to support small businesses.
The statement read, “In evaluating whether to extend the registration period, the government is considering its commitment to supporting small businesses, prioritizing health and safety, ensuring inclusivity and fairness, and maintaining integrity.”
So, will simply registering a spaza shop solve the issue of foodborne diseases? Some commentators do not think so.
“The Department of Health should regularly inspect these shops and shut them down without hesitation if they are not selling the right products!” commented one user on X. However, South African authorities emphasize that this will not be the case.
“Those who register their businesses and receive their registration approval properly will need to complete a further process to obtain their trading licenses. For this process, Environmental Health Practitioners and other regulatory authorities will continue to monitor the registered food-related businesses to ensure that the owners’ businesses are suitable for trade,” the statement added.
