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 Financial Growth Lebogang Maile confirmed, with no exception, that each one non-compliant merchants can be shutdown. Nonetheless, immigrant store house owners – who’re the overwhelming majority of casual merchants in South Africa – say the Division of Residence Affairs (DHA) was not forthcoming with asylum-seeker paperwork, reviews GroundUp.
The spaza store registration deadline was enacted final 12 months after 24 kids died from consuming poisoned/expired meals. 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. Nonetheless, Nelson Mandela Bay Mayoral Committee member for Public Well being, Thsonono Buyeye, calls the response ‘extraordinarily disappointing.’
SPAZA SHOP REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Within the Jap Cape, there are 1 637 spaza outlets within the metro, however solely 293 (17%) submitted appropriate functions earlier than the spaza store registration deadline. Of the 1 136 functions acquired, 843 (73%) have been incomplete, rendering them invalid. Furthermore, candidates have been knowledgeable of the deficiencies of their functions however didn’t appropriate them in time. Buyeye says her division went all out to boost consciousness and information house owners on compliance. 90% of spaza outlets within the Nelson Mandela Bay space are immigrant-run.
Nonetheless, Chris Mapingure of the Zimbabwe Migrants Help Community 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 Residence Affairs. Particularly, 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 contains verification of immigration standing and inspection of premises for adherence to well being and zoning laws. Hundreds of inspections checking meals security and coaching for meals handlers, pest management and hearth security certification have been carried out. Lastly, there was the cost of a enterprise licence processing charges.
Nonetheless, the South African Spaza-Retailers Affiliation says restricted entry to formal finance methods made charge cost troublesome. Additionally, many landlords didn’t current their title deeds figuring out 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. After which deal with immigration standing, land zoning and enterprise licences as a part of a extra versatile registration course of.
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