Government to crack down on illegal spaza shops: Ntshavheni

Government is planning to crack down on illegal spaza shops.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced immediate inspections of informal businesses by government departments to ensure compliance with the law. An audit of spaza shops will also be undertaken.

These are some of the outcomes of the international migration workshop the government held with mayors and traditional leaders last month.

The workshop focused on “curbing [the] effects of illegal immigration, including the operation of spaza shops”, and was hosted by the home affairs department with the participation of the small business development, co-operative governance and traditional affairs and human settlements departments, and traditional leaders and mayors from metro and district municipalities.

Briefing journalists after last week's cabinet meeting, Ntshavheni said the workshop's outcomes included the introduction of “omnibus” bylaws to address challenges relating to the enforcement of business bylaws by municipalities and traditional authorities.

There will be inspections of businesses, in particular spaza shops, which will be a joint operation by the departments of labour, health, small business development and home affairs’ immigration inspectorate to enforce compliance with bylaws, she said.

An audit of spaza shops in villages and townships and mechanisms to register them by traditional leaders and municipalities will be undertaken.

Ntshavheni said there were efforts to support traditional authorities to keep a record of foreigners in their communities while business licensing legislation was being amended to support those who want to trade in the informal sectors.

The registration of spaza shops will require compliance with business legislation that a foreigner can only undertake business if they make an investment of more than R5m.

In recent weeks, there have been calls to shut down illegal spaza shops run by foreigners in poor communities, with at least one civil society organisation, Not in My Name, accusing them of selling counterfeit goods.

Cabinet said it was concerned about the spate of food poisoning of children from eating expired and contaminated food from spaza shops and street vendors.

“Cabinet is encouraged by law enforcement efforts to enforce food safety compliance,” said Ntshavheni.

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