By Nandipha Twani, Siphesihle Joji and Luvuyo Mjekula
Makana Municipality and other government departments, including Saps, Health and Home Affairs, are currently carrying out surprise raids on Makhanda spaza shops and have closed a few for non-compliance and ordered an oversupply of chips to be returned to suppliers.
The authorities closed several shops in Beaufort Street because they failed to comply with various legislation including food health and safety, licensing, building and immigration.
A Makana Municipality business compliance section official explained that one shop was shut down because authorities discovered an oversupply of snacks. “There were so many chips packed in the shop, the packets reached the ceiling,” the official said.
She continued: “If you go to Pick n Pay, for example, you won’t find goods reaching the ceiling. Hence you find a truck every week coming to bring in stock, because they do stocktaking. We are saying to [the spaza shopowners], they must use the same principle – manage their stock so that there is no oversupply, because there is a high chance that the snacks that killed children in Soweto could be among these.”
The owners were compelled to summon their suppliers to remove the excess stock, especially the chips, reported to have caused children to fall ill in areas across South Africa.
Another shop was shut down due to non-compliance with building legislation. “The landlord has not done certain things in terms of the building. When you run a shop, it must have ventilation and an emergency exit. These [two businesses]suffer from non-compliance with building control legislation,” the Makana official said.
Municipal spokesperson Anele Mjekula said the operation was not new. “It’s not a new operation, it is continued from last year. It’s something we have been doing as the municipality to manage food security and to check for compliance with regulations.
“We confiscate expired goods mostly, and illegal goods like illicit cigarettes. It depends on what you find in that shop. There are shops that sell prepared food when they are not allowed to. We seize that food. We check documents such as passports and permits,” said Mjekula.
Makana mayor Yandiswa Vara and portfolio chair of public safety and community service, councillor Thandolwethu Vayo as well as the entire community service directorate, took the lead in the operation. Makhanda police station commander, Lt Col Mbulelo Pika was also part of the raids.
A spaza shop owner told Grocott’s Mail he welcomed the raid. “I don’t have any problem with the [raid]. I don’t sell any expired food. We buy goods every week. Nothing in my shop is expired,” he said.
A visibly angry Makhanda resident also encouraged the officials. “Our children get sick. I am a mother and I don’t want this to continue.”
This is a developing story.
