Some foreign nationals claim they had to pay bribes to register their spaza shops

JOHANNESBURG - Some foreign nationals who own spaza shops claimed they were asked to pay bribes to have their businesses officially registered.  

Informal business owners have spent the last 21 days trying to register their stores by Tuesday’s deadline.  

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President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered all spaza shops to be registered by Tuesday, following the rise in foodborne illnesses allegedly linked to products sold in these stores.  

However, some foreign nationals in Jabulani, Soweto, said that trying to enlist their stores had been a daunting task.  

Foreign nationals operating spaza shops in South Africa have been required to submit documents proving they are either asylum seekers or legally in the country.

Despite possessing these documents, one store owner claimed he was repeatedly asked to pay bribes by officials from various government departments.  

"We have to pay everyone, including the police. Each office we go to, there is nothing for free. They are working with money, or you need connections. You can’t go by yourself to register your shop. You must have someone to help there inside, connections. If you don’t have connections, you can’t do it."

When asked if he had paid a bribe to register his shop, this is what he had to say: "Everything we do, we pass with money. We are paying money; we are passing with money. It’s too hard for us here."

He said it was disheartening that they’ve had to consider bribing officials to continue operating their businesses.