MKP calls for more time to ensure South African spaza shop owners are properly informed and included in the registration process.
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The Umkhonto WeSizwe Party (MKP) has called on the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, to extend the deadline for Spaza shop registration.
The party argues that many South African shop owners are unaware of the registration process, preventing their participation.
IOL previously reported that Hlabisa said there would be no extension of the spaza store registration after the deadline, which was on February 28.
The minister further stated that any spaza outlet operating without the necessary paperwork would be closed, and the owners would be charged as of the closing date.
In an interview on Newzroom Afrika, Carol Mafagane, a Member of the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development, discussed the party’s concerns about the registration process.
Mafagane explained that the current registration process has not reached its intended beneficiaries, particularly historically disadvantaged South Africans.
"We believe it has not reached the intended beneficiaries, which are the historically disadvantaged South Africans," Mafagane said.
She stressed that many South African spaza shop owners remain unaware of the registration due to gaps in communication and public outreach.
"A majority of Spaza shop owners remain unaware of this process," she said, noting that the department’s reliance on social media and TV is insufficient to reach the target population.
The party suggests that an extension would allow for greater capacity in municipalities, many of which are still using manual registration. They also propose creating mobile business centers to reach disadvantaged and rural communities.
"Some municipalities are currently using manual registration. I don’t think we can satisfy ourselves that the process is going smoothly," Mafagane said.
"We need to design mobile business centers to go to disadvantaged communities and rural areas."
Mafahane also highlighted the growing concern over foreign national ownership of spaza shops, noting that 65% of registered spaza shops are foreign-owned.
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"We are being suffocated by the foreign national ownership of spaza shops," she expressed, frustrated by the dominance of foreign nationals in a sector traditionally owned by South Africans.
The party is calling for stricter enforcement of regulations to ensure that only legally registered foreign nationals can operate businesses in South Africa.
The party’s call for an extension is part of a broader effort to give more South Africans a fair chance to participate in the program.
"What is 30 more days or 60 more days?" Mafagane questioned, referring to the proposed extension.
"To satisfy ourselves that each and every South African is given a chance to register."
In their letter to the Minister, the MKP also requested better public participation efforts. Mafagane noted that South Africans in rural areas, such as Tembisa and Soweto, have not been adequately engaged.
"The department is just not going down; it’s just not reaching the people," she said.
As the party awaits a response from the minister, they are preparing to escalate the matter to the Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza and consult with their legal team if necessary.
"We are going to write to the Speaker of Parliament. After that, we’ll have to take other measures," said Mafagane.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
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