The City of Johannesburg has announced a phased strategy to close spaza shops throughout the metro.
On Tuesday, the City’s Health and Safety Department inspected Devland Cash and Carry, a wholesaler in Soweto, following the tragic deaths of six children who allegedly consumed snacks purchased from a local spaza shop.
The store is said to get its products from another nearby wholesaler.
With only 33 inspectors in Soweto, the process of shutting down all spaza shops in the area seems challenging.
However, MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku assured that his department has a strategy in place.
“You can do it, a phased approach, people must comply with reapplication and all of that. You can start with Soweto then move – or look at the area where there’s a high concentration of them (spaza shops) and start moving on,” Tshwaku explained.
Despite this, Tshwaku’s stance contrasts with that of the provincial MEC for Economic Development and Finance, Lebogang Maile, who contends that there is no straightforward or legal means to close all spaza shops, whether they are compliant or not.
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