Angry community of Ga-Rankuwa has launched a crusade against illegal operations of spaza shops in the township, calling for authorities to deport their owners and shut down their establishments before November 25.
This is detailed in a petition sent out to various government departments, which include home affairs, labour and health as well as SAPS and the City of Tshwane.
Campaign leaders Nonkululeko Qhotsokoane and Thabiso Maringa, said the community was concerned about the spread and continued operation of tuck shops by non-South Africans who are illegal in the country.
They said operators of illegal spaza shops were notorious for selling fake goods, illegal contraband and expired foodstuff.
“In the recent past, sporadic reports have been circulating in the media of persons, especially children, who fell ill after consuming foodstuff purchased from these foreign owned tuck shops,” according to the petitioners.
In one of the recent incidents at least 22 learners from Tlotlo-Mpho Primary School in Ga-Rankuwa took ill and rushed to hospital after consuming snacks believed to have been supplied by a foreign national.
Petitioners said: “We are aware that these incidents have been reported to the Ga-Rankuwa SAPS, but those tuck shops are still operating.”
The community lamented that there was no proper monitoring of spaza shops and that those operating them illegally contravened by-laws by erecting structures anywhere without applying for rezoning.
The Department of Health was blamed for not inspecting the tuck shops for compliance with health standards applicable in the country.
“The Department of Home Affairs fails to implement immigration influx laws to ensure that illegal foreigners are arrested and deported as soon as they arrive in the country,” petitioners said.
They also pointed fingers at the City of Tshwane for failing to ensure that immigrants were housed in accordance with international norms for their housing in the country.
“As a result immigrants, including illegal immigrants, are undocumented and roam about freely and set up businesses anywhere in the country that they wish to,”they said.
They demanded that by November 25 the City, SAPS, South African Revenue Services, Department of Labour and other relevant government institutions must have inspected the spaza shops for compliance with relevant legislations, regulations and by-laws.
A call was made that authorities must confiscate non-compliant stock and contraband and ensure they are disposed of.
The community demanded that implicated shops must be shut down permanently.
“The Department of Home Affairs must enforce applicable Immigration and Refugee laws, as well as international protocols and prescripts, to ensure that illegal immigrants are immediately deported to their countries or transit countries,” petitioners said.
Their petition was initiated despite recent raids by the Tshwane metro police at various spaza shops across the municipality.
Recently, the metro police conducted a bylaw operation at Pretoria north, where they closed those not complying with municipal by-laws.
Last week, they targeted spaza shops operating illegally and selling expired foodstuff in Laudium and Wierda Park.
MMC for Health, Rina Marx, said health inspectors were charged with conducting food safety inspections and participating in joint operations and projects in relation to food safety.
She said during October month at least 12 Section 56 notices were issued to non-compliant food premises, 43 compliance notices were issued to non-compliant food premises and two prohibition orders were issued to close food businesses.
Early this month Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced government’s plans to clamp down on spaza shops run by foreign nationals in the country illegally.
“There will be immediate joint inspections of businesses, particularly spaza shops, conducted by the departments of labour, health, small business development, and the Home Affairs inspectorate, to ensure compliance with the applicable by-laws,” she said.
Pretoria News