Drakenstein Municipality urges owners of spaza shops to register before February deadline
The initial deadline was set for 17 December after President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation in November.
Investigations are continuing after 10-year-old Lesedi Maaboi died after a suspected poisoning incident in Alexandra, 4 November 2024. Picture: X/@GautengDED
CAPE TOWN - The Drakenstein Municipality is urging owners of spaza shops and other food-handling outlets, who have not yet adhered to the president's call to register their businesses to do so before the new extended deadline of 28 February.
The initial deadline was set for 17 December after President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation in November.
The president's call followed hundreds of cases of food contamination since September and the deaths of at least 23 children some who were confirmed to have died of poisoning linked to the agricultural pesticide Terbufos.
Local governments countrywide have since been increasing compliance inspections.
Scores of owners have been forced to close their doors.
"Even if you still have some outstanding information which you cannot supply immediately, please come and register your shop to ensure that you comply with the president’s request. We also want to remind shop owners that the municipality's offices will be closed from Tuesday, 24 December for the festive season and reopen on Thursday, the 2nd of January," said the Drakenstein Municipality's Riana Geldenhuys.