Fake spaza shop papers not a surprise

The registration of spaza shop started on November 15 2024 after more than 20 children died from foodborne illnesses.
The registration of spaza shop started on November 15 2024 after more than 20 children died from foodborne illnesses.
Image: Thulani Mbele

The government’s push to regulate spaza shops, in the wake of a tragic wave of foodborne deaths among children, was meant to be a step towards ensuring food safety and consumer protection. Instead, it has become a bureaucratic mess, characterised by confusion, frustration, and now the shocking discovery of fake compliance certificates being sold in Ekurhuleni.

This ongoing saga reveals a government initiative that, from the start, has been hampered by poor planning, misguided urgency, and a lack of support for the very people it was meant to protect.

In November 2024, after a series of heart-breaking deaths linked to contaminated snacks from local spaza shops, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a  requirement for these stores to register and obtain certification.

The aim was clear: to improve food safety. But the execution has been anything but. The announcement came with a tight 21-day deadline – an unrealistic target that immediately raised consternation across the spaza shop community who deemed it unreasonable, unachievable and unfair, especially given its complex and cumbersome nature. 

Commentators warned of the very scenario that has now come to pass: desperate shop owners turning to illegal means to comply, including buying fake certificates.

The deadline was later and rightly extended to February 2025 as it not only created panic, but also overwhelmed the municipal systems and staff, exposing the process to errors and manipulation by weary and frustrated municipal staff, as well as overloaded systems. 

And so, it should come as no surprise that, in Ekurhuleni, a black market for fake certificates has emerged. The sale of fraudulent compliance documents not only threatens the integrity of the registration process but also erodes the public’s trust in the government’s ability to safeguard food safety.

Law enforcement has rightly arrested those behind the scam. But while we  commend the police for taking swift action it’s clear that the government’s approach is creating more problems than it is solving.

If the aim is to ensure food safety, then the registration system must be simplified and made more accessible. Small businesses cannot be expected to navigate a complex bureaucratic system that only adds to their burdens. In the end, the government must remember that effective regulation balances safety with practicality.

If the process remains overly complicated and punitive, it will continue to fail both small businesses and the very citizens it seeks to protect. Only by reassessing its approach can the government ensure food safety without sacrificing trust or fairness.

The Herald

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