Operation Dudula members are set to stage a picket in Soweto today, protesting against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement regarding the registration of foreign-owned spaza shops. The President’s directive allows foreign business owners 21 days to register their spaza shops with local municipalities, a move that has sparked widespread debate amid ongoing concerns over food safety and the proliferation of illegal and unsafe businesses.
Ramaphosa’s announcement came in the wake of a series of food poisoning incidents linked to spaza shops, which have resulted in the deaths of 22 children so far. These incidents have highlighted serious concerns over the sale of expired, contaminated, and counterfeit goods in some of these shops.
Zandile Dabula, president of Operation Dudula, expressed her disappointment with the President’s decision, questioning why businesses that have already broken the law are now being given the opportunity to “correct their wrongs.” Dabula emphasized that while Ramaphosa acted quickly to remove informal traders operating near schools, particularly those selling products considered unsafe, the same urgency was not being applied to foreign-owned spaza shops operating in the townships.
“We are very disappointed because when we thought that our President would be declaring a state of emergency when it comes to immigration, he instead decides to give people who have already broken the law a chance to go and correct their wrongs,” Dabula said.
She further argued that Ramaphosa’s decision to offer amnesty to these foreign shop owners, many of whom have been implicated in unsafe practices, is inconsistent with the actions taken against other informal traders. “Why are they not shutting them down? He was so quick to say that informal traders at schools need to move, but why is he not doing the same with these foreign-owned spaza shops in and around our townships?” Dabula added.
Operation Dudula, an activist group known for its stance on limiting foreign-owned businesses in South Africa, has been vocal about what it perceives as unfair competition from foreign nationals in the local economy. The group has also raised concerns about the safety and health risks posed by some spaza shops, especially in light of the food poisoning cases.
The picket today is expected to draw attention to these issues, with members of Operation Dudula calling for stricter regulations and enforcement, as well as accountability for spaza shop owners who fail to comply with safety standards. The protesters are demanding that the government take stronger action to address both the economic and health risks posed by the growing number of foreign-owned spaza shops in the country.
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