In recent developments, Soweto residents have expressed outrage after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive requiring unregistered local and foreign-owned spaza shops to comply with registration within 21 days. The announcement has sparked tension within the community, with some groups opposing the registration of spaza shops owned by foreign nationals who are renting space in local yards. This conflict reached a peak on 19 November when an opposing group blocked other community members from registering foreign-owned spaza shops at a Customer Service Centre in Jabulani.
The controversy follows Ramaphosa’s public address on 15 November regarding the widespread food poisoning crisis affecting South Africa. In his speech, Ramaphosa highlighted the alarming rise in food poisoning incidents, with a total of 890 reported cases between September and November. The majority of these cases, he noted, were linked to spaza shops in townships, informal settlements, and hostel communities. This national health crisis has led to calls for increased regulation and oversight of spaza shops, which have become a focal point of the debate over local and foreign business ownership.
The president’s announcement has ignited a strong backlash in Soweto, where many locals feel that the crackdown unfairly targets foreign shop owners and disrupts the livelihoods of many in the community. Tensions have escalated as residents argue that the blanket enforcement of the new regulations could harm their own businesses, as well as the relationships within the community. The issue has now become a polarizing topic in Soweto, with strong divisions between those advocating for the closure of unregistered spaza shops and those who support the rights of foreign nationals to operate businesses in the area.
As the deadline for registration draws near, the situation remains tense. Local authorities are expected to closely monitor developments and engage with community leaders to mediate the growing conflict. Meanwhile, Ramaphosa’s administration is under increasing pressure to balance the enforcement of regulatory measures with the economic realities faced by small businesses, both local and foreign-owned, in South Africa’s informal economy.
