Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
14 April 2024 | 15:00 CAT
2 min read

The Forum for South Africa is preparing to take legal action against the Government of National Unity for allegedly failing to clamp down on unregistered and non-compliant spaza shops. This follows the hospitalisation of an eight-year-old Soweto boy who allegedly fell ill after eating snacks purchased from a local spaza shop.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, the Forum’s leader Tebogo Mashilo Mpani said the government must be held accountable. “Yes. The government is responsible because, I mean, who must enforce the laws? This is the government. So they put the regulations, and then they must be enforced,” he said.

Mpani criticised the Minister of Small Business Development for encouraging communities to shut down spaza shops themselves, calling it irresponsible. “We cannot allow or leave a situation to the communities to close the spaza shops. It is not the responsibility of communities. When you go and close someone’s spaza shop and you are not a law enforcer, you become a target. There are many people who have been killed because of closing spaza shops. Some have been threatened,” he said.

He also raised concerns over the lack of transparency regarding shop registrations. “We called on the government to give figures. No figures. They just talk in parables. Out of 17,000 or so, only around 4,000 are registered. What happened to the other 13,000?” he asked.

Mpani said the NGO would be meeting with its legal team this week to decide whether to go directly to court or first engage the government. “We had a strong virtual meeting on Saturday to give them our intention. Today, we are going to sit down, and they will be giving us legal advice,” he said.

According to Mpani, the crisis is worsened by the prevalence of foreign-owned spaza shops selling unregulated goods. “These goods come through our porous borders. They do not comply with health standards and are sold to our children. They do not pay tax. The money leaves the country,” he added.

According to Mpani, “Spaza shops are supposed to cater for locals and is part of the township economy. “But now it has been taken over by people who are even coming illegally into the country, selling illicit goods,” he said.

Mpani stressed that this simply cannot be!

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Tebogo Mashilo Mpani, leader of Forum for South Africa, here.