Mbalula: ANC to address spaza shop compliance
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said on Monday that the party will address safety concerns surrounding spaza shops amid the recent incidents of suspected food poisoning.
He spoke to the media on Monday on the sidelines of an ANC gathering in Johannesburg to commemorate the life of ANC stalwart Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu.
Mbalula's remarks follow the tragic deaths of six children in Soweto, who allegedly ate contaminated snacks purchased from a spaza shop.
This incident has sparked outrage, with local communities accusing foreign-owned spaza shops in townships of selling expired and unsafe food products.
The outcry has led to incidents of looting, forcing many spaza shops to shut down in areas such as the Vaal and Naledi in Soweto.
Between February and September, Gauteng reported 207 cases of food poisoning, raising alarm over food safety standards in township shops.
Mbalula said he would be convening relevant cluster ministers to address the issue and provide answers to residents’ concerns.
"We are going to intervene in a big way with regard to spaza shop issues. We are in charge, we are a government, and where we are in charge, there must be laws that must be enforced and respected.
“We need to work with the police and use the country's laws to ensure that we deal with this challenge.
“It is a law enforcement part, but on the other hand, it is a bigger challenge of a business being supported on the ground. Most of the spaza shops are now in the hands of foreigners; these foreigners are accused of selling cheaper goods to our people, and some are poisonous.
“It begs the question, where do they order these goods?”
He added, " As a government, we must lead in relation to this matter, and it is quite urgent and important.
“We must be consistent in terms of regulating spaza shops in the country. As the ANC, we will mobilise society behind the action that is taken by the government.”
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