National Informal Traders Alliance president Rosheda Muller says President Cyril Ramaphosa’s deadline to register all spaza shops within 21 days is “impossible”.
On Friday Ramaphosa announced the closure of spaza shops implicated in food-borne illnesses that claimed the lives of 22 children in recent weeks. He said all spaza shops and food handling facilities must be registered with municipalities within 21 days.
“Any shop not registered within 21 days and that does not meet all health standards will be closed,” Ramaphosa said.
Muller said municipalities do not have enough capacity to register all spaza shops within 21 days.
“21 days is totally impossible. We will never be able to do that with all tuck shops,” she said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.
“Tuck shops are operating in every little town. In Soweto alone there are about 1,000 and that is only one part. We must be realistic about what we're doing and what we're saying because to register a business and to get the food certificate, the compliance, is not going to happen overnight.
“Most definitely municipal officials do not have the capacity. We have hardly seen health inspectors in the markets.”
She said the organisation will request more time for registrations.
“We will request extra time. We need more time, but we are also telling government to use organisations that are on the ground. We are on the ground in every province. We can assist.”
‘21 days to register spaza shops is impossible’: Informal traders alliance
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
National Informal Traders Alliance president Rosheda Muller says President Cyril Ramaphosa’s deadline to register all spaza shops within 21 days is “impossible”.
On Friday Ramaphosa announced the closure of spaza shops implicated in food-borne illnesses that claimed the lives of 22 children in recent weeks. He said all spaza shops and food handling facilities must be registered with municipalities within 21 days.
“Any shop not registered within 21 days and that does not meet all health standards will be closed,” Ramaphosa said.
Muller said municipalities do not have enough capacity to register all spaza shops within 21 days.
“21 days is totally impossible. We will never be able to do that with all tuck shops,” she said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.
“Tuck shops are operating in every little town. In Soweto alone there are about 1,000 and that is only one part. We must be realistic about what we're doing and what we're saying because to register a business and to get the food certificate, the compliance, is not going to happen overnight.
“Most definitely municipal officials do not have the capacity. We have hardly seen health inspectors in the markets.”
She said the organisation will request more time for registrations.
“We will request extra time. We need more time, but we are also telling government to use organisations that are on the ground. We are on the ground in every province. We can assist.”
Government intervention on spaza shops lacks nuanced planning to effectively address crisis: forum
TimesLIVE reported members of Operation Dudula in Soweto blocked foreign nationals from registering their businesses on Monday.
Muller said: “We also have to be honest with ourselves. We need to be blunt that the balance is not in order. We cannot, for example, have 800 spaza shops in Soweto owned by non-South Africans and 200 owned by South Africans. We need to balance that scale, which should be heavier on the side of South African informal business.”
She believes only legal foreign nationals should be allowed to own spaza shops.
“There needs to be a shift in the balance. We are saying if you've been in the country as an asylum seeker or refugee and you do have legal papers, you are registered and you have your permit from the city, we welcome them to be there. However, most spaza shops should be in the hands of South Africans, as our unemployment rate is extremely high.”
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
Operation Dudula members block foreign nationals from registering spaza shops
Soweto spaza owners back registration process
LISTEN | Ramaphosa announces closure of spaza shops implicated in food poisoning deaths
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