Friday 28 February 2025 served because the spaza store registration deadline for all casual merchants. When this deadline got here and went, the Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development Lebogang Maile confirmed, with no exception, that every one non-compliant traders would be shutdown. However, immigrant store house owners – who’re the overwhelming majority of casual merchants in South Africa – say the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) was not forthcoming with asylum-seeker paperwork, reviews GroundUp.
The spaza store registration deadline was enacted final 12 months after 24 children died from eating poisoned/expired food. So pervasive was the scourge that President Cyril Ramaphosa took to addressing the nation publicly. Initially a 21-day deadline was prolonged to the final spaza store registration deadline. However, Nelson Mandela Bay Mayoral Committee member for Public Health, Thsonono Buyeye, calls the response ‘extremely disappointing.’
SPAZA SHOP REGISTRATION DEADLINE
In the Eastern Cape, there are 1 637 spaza outlets within the metro, however solely 293 (17%) submitted right functions earlier than the spaza store registration deadline. Of the 1 136 functions acquired, 843 (73%) had been incomplete, rendering them invalid. Moreover, candidates had been knowledgeable of the deficiencies of their applications however didn’t right them in time. Buyeye says her division went all out to lift consciousness and information house owners on compliance. 90% of spaza outlets within the Nelson Mandela Bay space are immigrant-run.
However, Chris Mapingure of the Zimbabwe Migrants Support Network paints a unique image. He says many immigrant merchants couldn’t meet the deadline as a result of they didn’t have the precise documentation from Home Affairs. Specifically, asylum-seeker permits from the DHA, which weren’t renewed in time.
LEGAL AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Registration was contingent on assembly authorized and well being necessities. This consists of verification of immigration standing and inspection of premises for adherence to well being and zoning laws. Thousands of inspections checking meals security and coaching for meals handlers, pest management and hearth security certification had been performed. Finally, there was the fee of a enterprise licence processing charges.
However, the South African Spaza-Shops Association says restricted entry to formal finance methods made charge fee troublesome. Also, many landlords didn’t current their title deeds understanding that the places weren’t accurately zoned for enterprise operations. In response to the missed spaza store registration deadline, the affiliation has as a substitute requested authorities to introduce a phased strategy. It wish to see spaza outlets first register with preliminary necessities specializing in well being and meals security compliance. And then deal with immigration standing, land zoning and enterprise licences as a part of a extra versatile registration course of.
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