President Cyril Ramaphosa at at the Presidential Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives Awards in Johannesburg on Friday. Picture: X@DSBD_SA
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned spaza shop owners that if they do not register their businesses, action will be taken against them.
Ramaphosa made the remark at the Presidential Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives Awards in Johannesburg on Friday.
His address comes as the country battles a spate of deaths and hospital admissions linked to food poisoning.
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More than 20 children have died due to food-borne illnesses from goods said to have been bought from local spaza shops.
These incidents also sparked massive outcries, leading to several community protests countrywide.
Ramaphosa said the registration of spaza shops is aimed at formalising the township economy.
“We know that small businesses have been in the news of late. The recent spate of food-borne illnesses that have been linked to spaza shops and informal traders in townships has thrown into sharp relief issues of regulation, health and safety.
Ramaphosa said the call for registration was not meant to punish spaza shops, but rather to ensure the safety of communities and prioritisation of the economy.
“Spaza shops that are operating in our townships and our rural areas must be registered and to register does not mean that we seek to punish them we seek to make sure that they are regulated so that we know who they are so that we know where they operate, Ramaphosa said.
“We’ve given them a timeframe to come forward… If they don’t come forward by themselves, then we will be compelled to take action.
“We empathise with the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We must work together to ensure that we manage this process effectively. Our ministers, provincial and local government leaders will continue to make announcements,” Ramaphosa said.
Although the government sees legislation to regulate spaza shops in townships as a way to address illegal activities, the law falls short of expectations from locals who want to own the township economy.
Residents hoped the state would not only deal with the removal of poisonous substances and ensure businesses operated legally, but some suggested a ban on foreigners trading in townships.
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