ActionSA has called for the localisation of spaza shops across South Africa following multiple incidents where children fell ill or died after consuming snacks purchased from these outlets.
On Thursday, the party staged a protest in KwaMashu, Durban, alongside the North Region Business Association (Norba) and the INK Investment Stokvel, representing spaza shop owners in Inanda, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashu.
“The protest is directed against foreign-national-owned spaza shops in the area, which have been selling expired and contaminated food to residents, including young children,” ActionSA stated.
Zamo Shange, representing Norba and the INK Investment Stokvel, highlighted that concerns about foreign national-owned tuck shops have been raised since 2015.
Zwakele Mncwango, ActionSA’s provincial chairperson, joined the protest in support of the local community, emphasising that his presence was not about party politics.
“We have seen the issues you are facing. In the eThekwini Municipality we forwarded a motion to put forth an investigation into spaza shops owned by foreign nationals. However, the ruling party struck it down. This was two months go,” Mncwango said.
He also criticised the president’s directive giving spaza shop owners 21 days to register their businesses.
“We do not want any discussion whether someone has registered or not. If you’re not South African, the law should prohibit you from owning a spaza shop. There also should be a budget and fund to support small township entrepreneurs.”
Mncwango argued that empowering local entrepreneurs would boost job creation, a pressing issue as unemployment rates remain high.
He also accused eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba of neglecting the township economy, which contributes R500 billion to the national GDP.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive for all unregistered South African and foreign-owned spaza shops to register within 21 days has also sparked outrage among residents in Soweto, Gauteng.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, when a group of locals prevented others from registering foreign-owned spaza shops at the Jabulani Customer Service Centre.
The directive followed Ramaphosa’s national address on November 15, where he tackled the country’s ongoing food poisoning crisis.
Between September and November, South Africa reported 890 food poisoning cases, primarily in townships, informal settlements, and hostel communities.
Gauteng was hardest hit, recording over 300 incidents and two dozen deaths since February, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and the Free State. Tragically, the crisis has claimed the lives of 22 children.
In his address, Ramaphosa referenced the October Naledi incident, where six children, aged seven to nine, died after consuming tainted snacks purchased from a local spaza shop.
Investigations revealed the presence of Terbufos, a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide, as the cause of the poisonings.
Although there was no evidence of intentional harm, the government declared the crisis a national security threat later that month.
In response, Ramaphosa announced several measures, including the closure of spaza shops linked to fatalities and the mandatory registration of all food-handling businesses.
He stressed that contaminated products could be found in both locally and foreign-owned spaza shops, aiming for fairness in the enforcement of the regulations.
Despite these intentions, Ramaphosa’s directive has drawn sharp criticism. South African spaza shop owners have condemned the move, with some calling for his resignation.
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