Determining source of spaza shop goods crucial to ensuring safety of locals

JOHANNESBURG - Determining where spaza shop operators get their goods remains a concerning factor around the issue of food contamination.

According to health inspectors, spaza shop operators do not keep a sales record, making it very difficult to determine who may purchase items that are not properly compliant.

This follows the deaths of dozens of children across the country, who allegedly died due to possible food contamination after consuming goods from spaza shops.

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Determining the value chain of supply and demand from spaza shops needs to be investigated properly.

Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile said this was crucial to ensuring the safety of locals.

He was speaking outside the home of Lesedi Maaboi in Alexandra.

The 10-year-old died on Saturday after allegedly eating chips purchased from a spaza shop.

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“We have to look at the whole value chain. We have to get a response and accountability from the shop owners about where they buy these goods so we’re able to deal with the problem at the beginning and not at the end.”

But that might be easier said than done.

Recent inspections of spaza shops in Naledi found that there is very seldom a sales record, as an inspector at the National Consumer Commission, Tebogo Motseta explained:

“Suppliers are not issuing out sales record, there’s so much non-compliance. The sales record is very important for us to track the goods that were purchased into a store, who the supplier is, and how do I now go forward if I have issues with a particular product that I bought.”

Lesedi is expected to be laid to rest in the coming days.