Maile says more than 540 spaza shops in Gauteng have been shut down due to non-compliance
The shops were found to be operating without proper documents and or not adhering to environmental health standards.
Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile. Picture: @GautengProvince/X
JOHANNESBURG - More than 540 spaza shops in Gauteng have been closed down.
The shops were found to be operating without proper documents and or not adhering to environmental health standards.
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Spaza shop owners nationwide have until Friday to register their businesses, as mandated by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The president’s order came on the back of incidents of food contamination that claimed more than 20 lives over the last few months.
Gauteng’s acting premier, Lebogang Maile, told journalists that government will not tolerate violations of human rights by non-compliant spaza shops.
“A total of 541 spaza shops have been closed for non-compliance. Non-compliant businesses include those without Companies and Intellectual Property Commission registration, which is a legal requirement for operating a business in South Africa.
“Other issues of non-compliance include a lack of certificates of acceptability or comment from Environmental Health and non-payment of operating licenses that are obtained from municipalities. Businesses operating from unsafe premises and within a hazardous environment have also been closed for non-compliance.”