President Cyril Ramaphosa’s vision for local spaza shops has received widespread criticism from ordinary South Africans and opposition political parties alike.
On Friday, Ramaphosa addressed South Africans following the death of 23 children and more than 500 reported incidents of food-borne illnesses that have cast a spotlight on the lack of by-law enforcement across the country.
The Cabinet has also convened to address the alarming state of food safety in South Africa.
During his televised address, the president outlined a series of measures aimed at enhancing public health and safety. Chief among these was a commitment to remove hazardous pesticides from circulation and a directive mandating that all spaza shops and food-handling facilities register with their local municipalities within 21 days.
Failure to comply would result in enforcement actions, including the closure of unregistered businesses and potential criminal prosecutions.
“All spaza shops and other food handling facilities must be registered within the municipalities in which they operate within 21 days from today (Friday),” Ramaphosa stated firmly.
“Any shop that is not registered within 21 days and does not meet all health standards and requirements will be closed.”
This unequivocal stance is aimed at facilitating better oversight and accountability in the food industry, where non-compliance has been rampant.
However, the response from various quarters has been overwhelmingly critical. The African Transformation Movement (ATM), represented by spokesperson Zama Ntshona, articulated deep concern over what they perceive as a failure by the ANC-led government to address systemic problems.
“This crisis is not just a public health issue but a symptom of broader systemic issues,” Ntshona asserted.
He emphasised that many tragedies could have been averted had a greater focus been placed on the welfare of South Africans, urging for the long-overdue accountability and action to protect citizens from the hazards of contaminated food and illegal pesticide sales.
Moreover, Ntshona highlighted a pressing legal concern regarding foreign nationals operating spaza shops without adhering to investment regulations.
“In opening a business in South Africa as a foreigner, one is mandated to make a minimum investment of R5 million. There is no spaza shop that can credibly claim to have made such an investment, which means all spaza shops run by foreigners are in violation of the law,” he pointed out, underscoring the implications this has for local economic challenges.
On the positive side, the ATM welcomed Ramaphosa’s announcement of a R500 million fund set aside to ensure that South Africans benefit from economic opportunities created by these regulatory changes.
“It is imperative that these funds benefit bona fide South African citizens and not individuals who may have acquired citizenship through fraudulent means,” Ntshona emphasised, calling for thorough investigations into compliance violations, including those concerning the citizenship status of spaza shop owners.
Compounding the issue, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba weighed in on the ongoing crisis, pointing to the porous borders as exacerbating factors.
Speaking to “SABC News”, Mashaba lamented: “The country is borderless and full of billions of counterfeit goods that are coming into the country. Criminals are bringing in medication and other illegal chemicals into our country. We need to clamp down on this as well.”
The National Informal Traders Alliance of South Africa (NITASA) said it was concerned about the time allowed for spaza shops to register with the government. Its president, Rosheda Muller, told “SABC News”: “I have listened to every single word our president has said, and those are good things that he wants to implement - but I do believe the time frame is really unrealistic.
“For example, if a spaza shop is registered, all that needs to happen is that the health inspector or municipal officials need to check if the health conditions are in place. It’s going to be impossible, it will probably take more than a year, for all of us to go stand in a queue.”
The Star