President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive for all unregistered South African and foreign-owned spaza shops to register within 21 days has 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.
A video shared by @MDNnewss captured a woman expressing her outrage, while footage from @KayaNews showed heated altercations among residents.
In one incident, a man was accused of attempting to register a spaza shop using fraudulent documents on behalf of a foreign national.
As the registration deadline looms, the divide between community members continues to grow, underscoring the complexities of addressing the food poisoning crisis and the broader issues surrounding informal trade in South Africa.
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