Gauteng Finance MEC pledges support to communities organising to reclaim spaza shop ownership

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile has pledged to support communities organising to reclaim spaza shop ownership in their neighbourhoods.

The Boipatong community South of Joburg claims local shop operations in the area are dominated by foreign nationals leaving the locals out of their economy.

On Monday morning, Maile engaged disgruntled residents on a range of issues following the murder of a local spaza shop owner.

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The murder ignited violent protests in the area, leading to widespread looting of the township’s spaza shops.

Maile reassured residents that the government is implementing a plan to address the challenges.

“We will have to make grants available for these closed shops. It’s unacceptable. We can’t allow people, whether legal or illegal, to come here, engage in violent activities, and threaten the lives of our people.”

The Gauteng government has raised concerns about township businesses disregarding laws for quick profits.

MEC Maile faced criticism for what residents described as a reactive approach by the province, rather than a proactive one.

Anger and demands for action dominated the discussions, with Maile agreeing that better law enforcement is crucial.

He emphasised that steps are being taken to address the issues.

“We need to tighten up the implementation of laws, we also need to identify where there are gaps so we can close them."

Meanwhile, the Department of Health is investigating the recent spike in hospitalisations linked to food bought from spaza shops here, in Soweto.