Spaza shop registrations: GP govt ropes in Home Affairs to thwart submission of false documents

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng government has roped in the Home Affairs Department to prevent the submission of false documents during spaza shop registrations.

This move follows concerns that some locals have been registering businesses on behalf of undocumented foreign nationals.

Over the past three weeks, spaza shop owners have been lining up at local municipal offices to complete their registrations within the 21-day deadline.

The Gauteng government has provided an update on the progress made to register the stores.

A significant number of foreign-owned spaza shops have faced challenges in registering their businesses due to the requirements for immigrants to operate in the country.

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To obtain a business visa, foreign nationals are legally required to invest R5 million into the South African economy before they can operate.

As a result, it is believed that some locals have been using fraudulent documents to register on behalf of foreign nationals.

But acting Gauteng Premier Lebogang Maile says the government has taken a proactive approach to address this matter.

"The Gauteng provincial government has sought assistance from the National Department of Home Affairs at all sites to address asylum, immigrant, and refugee statuses of foreign nationals to eradicate the submission of false documentation for spaza shops registrations."

Spaza shop owners have two days left to register their businesses.