Calls Grow to Shut Down Non-Compliant Spaza Shops After Child Falls Ill
Cooperative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has called for the closure of all non-compliant spaza shops, following a serious food safety incident in Soweto.
Speaking at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Friday, Hlabisa addressed the case of an eight-year-old boy who has been in intensive care for nearly a week after consuming snacks purchased from a local tuck shop.
The minister urged community members to report any unregistered or unsafe shops operating in their neighbourhoods.
He expressed relief that the specific store linked to the incident had already been shut down, and said authorities would visit the area to engage directly with residents and reinforce the message that ensuring public safety must be a shared responsibility.
Meanwhile, the boy’s family has confirmed that he remains in critical condition. Tensions have been rising in the Naledi area, where the tuck shop is located, as government officials visited the premises for inspection.
Outside the store, concerned residents displayed posters demanding that the foreign-owned shop be permanently closed and its owner leave the country.
According to community members, the tuck shop is unregistered, raising concerns about how it was allowed to operate despite a directive from President Cyril Ramaphosa that all spaza shops must be formally registered. The boy’s family is now focusing on his recovery and hoping for his safe return home.