'Ministers sleep on the job': NGO threatens legal action against govt over unregistered spaza shops
Forum for South Africa says the Government of National Unity should be held accountable in a court of law for allegedly allowing non-compliant spaza shops to operate.
COGTA Minister Velenkosi Hlabisa during his visit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on 11 April 2025, in Soweto, to see the eight-year-old boy who got hospitalised after he allegedly consumed snacks at a local spaza shop. Picture: Simphiwe Nkosi/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - An NGO has has accused politicians of being reactive when addressing issues affecting South Africans.
This follows Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa’s recent visit to the 8-year-old child from Soweto who has been in the ICU in a hospital for almost a week after consuming snacks from a local tuck shop.
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Forum for South Africa (FOSA) says the Government of National Unity (GNU) should be held accountable in a court of law for allegedly allowing non-compliant spaza shops to operate.
Forum leader Tebogo Mashilompane has urged government to close all unregistered shops.
"It cannot be right that some ministers sleep on the job, and when litigated against, they use the state resources and taxpayers' money to defend their act of omission.
"It must come to an end. Politicians must stop abusing our taxes! FOSA calls on the Minister of COGTA and the GNU government to close unregistered spaza shops immediately or face litigation in their personal capacity for dereliction of duty."