With today marking the final deadline for spaza shops and other food-handling outlets to register their businesses with local municipalities, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has confirmed that no extension will be granted.
Spaza shop owners and vendors have until the end of the day to complete their registration, after which unregistered businesses may face penalties.
“Following several engagements within the IMC [Inter-Ministerial Committee] and in consultation with the President, a decision has been taken not to extend the deadline of the 28th February 2025, as ample time was given to business owners to comply with the Presidential directive,” NATJOINTS said on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on foodborne illnesses and illicit goods expressed satisfaction with the progress made in implementing government interventions ahead of today’s deadline.
On November 15, 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 21-day period for the registration of food handling business. This was extended on 18 December 2024 to 28 February 2025.
The intervention follows a serious incident involving foodborne illnesses, which resulted in over 890 cases and nearly 30 deaths since September 2024.
In October last year, six primary school children from Naledi, Soweto, died after allegedly eating snacks from a foreign-owned local spaza shop.
The NATJOINTS statement stated that the Ministers of Health and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Aaron Motsoaledi and Velenkosini Hlabisa, as the co-Chairs of the IMC said that valuable lessons were learnt during this period. This is especially regarding the need for strengthened enforcement of regulation of the spaza shops and other food handling outlets.
The IMC has overseen the implementation of the action plan by the multi-disciplinary teams at the NATJOINTS drawn from the commitments made by the President.
“It is important to emphasise that the work of multi-disciplinary teams under the NATJOINTS will continue beyond this deadline. Enforcement of the law is not an event, and we are committed to continuing the work to formalise, regularise the sector and compliance with the law,” said the NATJOINTS.
This includes warehouses and other establishments that unlawfully stock hazardous chemicals, banned substances, and pesticides.
“We have strengthened our capacity and systems to monitor and database this sector. This will enhance our ability to support and encourage their growth and formalisation, while at the same time ensuring adherence to business registration and food safety laws including municipal by-laws.”
The IMC stressed that registration alone does not mean that a business is eligible to trade.
READ | Last day to register spaza shops
To obtain a licence or permit to trade, business owners must comply with all health regulations and municipal by-laws related to conducting business.
Where business owners are found to be non-compliant, the law will be enforced and this includes fines, arrests, and closures as applicable.
“We want to emphasise that our cardinal aim is to help businesses to comply with the law and to ensure the safety of our citizens and children. Working together we can build a safer, healthier, and more equitable food ecosystem for all South Africans,” said the co-Chairs. – SAnews.gov.za
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