The government has issued a strong warning to individuals preventing foreign nationals from registering their spaza shops, following recent actions by Operation Dudula members. On Monday, at the Jabulani Civic Centre in Soweto, the group allegedly blocked access to the facility and disrupted the registration process for foreign shop owners, claiming they had no right to operate businesses in South Africa.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, condemned these actions, urging South Africans not to take the law into their own hands. He emphasized that law enforcement agencies were equipped to handle such situations, and called for people to respect the legal process. “Our request is that we not take the law into our hands,” Hlabisa said, stressing that the government is committed to ensuring lawful business practices.
Minister Hlabisa clarified that the spaza shop registration system requires that the registered owner must be the one operating the shop. He explained that if a South African landlord wishes to register a shop on behalf of a foreign national, they must obtain approval from their local municipality. Fears of South Africans registering spaza shops for foreign nationals were therefore unfounded, he said.
The call for registration follows a directive from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who gave spaza shops and food-related businesses 21 days to register with their municipalities. This initiative is part of efforts to tackle foodborne illnesses that have claimed the lives of at least 22 people in South Africa. Minister Hlabisa noted that registering a business takes less than a day, making the 21-day period more than sufficient.
Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, also commented on the registration process, urging business owners to register within the allocated time. She stressed that the registration was not limited to spaza shops but included all businesses, such as butcheries and wholesalers. Ndabeni-Abrahams warned that anyone found assisting illegal immigrants, including by renting space to them, would face legal consequences.
