Regulation of spaza shops ‘feels like an attack on ordinary people’

Amid growing calls for the government to declare the rise in deadly food poisoning incidents a national state of disaster, there have been mixed feelings over the impending regulation of spaza shops.

Last week, government approved the proclamation to tightly regulate local spaza shops, which have been at the heart of the problem.

The move will be led by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Leaders (Cogta) and is aimed at curtailing food poisoning incidents after scores of children across the country fell ill, while some have lost their lives due to alleged contaminated goods sold at spaza shops.

All councils across municipalities will now pass new by-laws, which explain how to register and conduct business. This will include proper food handling, storage, and cooking techniques.

In Gauteng alone, 441 incidents have been reported and 23 deaths recorded, with children being the hardest hit.

While some believe the regulation is a good move, civic movement, Kopanang Africa, says it feels more like an attack on ordinary people.

The organisation says if the government is serious about getting to the bottom of the crisis, it needs to target the companies selling these banned pesticides to vulnerable shopkeepers, not the street vendors who are just trying to make an honest living.

“The government should work with vendors and spaza shops instead of imposing regulations that risk killing their businesses. Informal trade is crucial to our economy. It employs tens of thousands who might otherwise be jobless.”

Kopanang Africa says it remains to be seen how the new regulations will be implemented fairly, without worsening the country’s staggering unemployment rate.

Education activist, Hendrick Makaneta, on the other hand believes that tight regulation of spaza shops will go a long way in eradicating food borne diseases.

He believes that if done right, the move will restore confidence in the ability of the state to protect its citizens.

“This type of tragedy could have been avoided had there been more regulations from the state. We also salute members of various communities who took it upon themselves to check the quality of food sold in spaza shops in many parts of the country.”

Makaneta has also bemoaned how these incidents continue to pose a threat to teaching and learning.