Urgent crackdown: Tshwane mayor targets illegal spaza shops for health violations

The City of Tshwane's recent crackdown on non-compliant spaza shops and businesses has yielded disturbing results, with some establishments selling contaminated food and illicit products. 

This was revealed during an inspection conducted by Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya, accompanied by municipal inspectors and Tshwane metro police, in Mamelodi township this week.

The inspection followed closely after a similar discovery in Pretoria North, where a business was found selling illicit cigarettes. 

The operation, led by MMC for Spatial Planning and Economic Development Sarah Mabotsa, resulted in the seizure of illicit goods.

During the operation in Mamelodi, Moya and metro police raided an Ethiopian-run Cash and Carry store, which had reopened two weeks prior despite being shut down for operating an illegal structure on a servitude. 

The owners were found to have forged a City of Tshwane operational certificate. All goods inside the store were seized, and the cash found on site was handed over to the South African Police Service for further handling.

Moya condemned the owners’ blatant disregard for the law, evident when they reopened it after it was closed two weeks ago.

Authorities also found cash machines and receipts totalling nearly R1 million for a single day in the living quarters above the shop. 

Moya reiterated that the individuals are exploiting the country’s economy, evading taxes, and violating the law. 

“We are going to close down the shop again and just follow up in terms of the demolishing because we must demolish,” she said, urging Mamelodi residents to tap into the informal economy.

The city had been alerted to the ongoing operation of an illegal spaza shop warehouse in Mamelodi.

At another premises, authorities discovered over 10 Ethiopian nationals inside an illegal spaza shop warehouse in Mamelodi. 

One man was found hiding on top of a packet of chips, while others were concealed under a mattress. 

Moya expressed concern over the condition of food packaging, citing a lack of adherence to health protocols.

In a separate incident, a large fuel tank filled with paraffin was discovered in an enclosed room in Mamelodi. 

The mayor highlighted the significant risk of combustion due to the lack of ventilation, potentially resulting in loss of life. 

The area was cordoned off by the city's fire department, and the tank is set to be removed by the Department of Energy.

Mabotsa recently inspected a shop in Pretoria North that had the necessary documentation, including a trading licence and fire certificate, but was still found to be selling illicit cigarettes, which were subsequently seized.

“We are urging all the residents of Tshwane to stop selling illegal goods because selling illegal goods can also harm the residents of Tshwane,” she said.

She encouraged shop owners to comply with the city's by-laws for spaza shops.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za