The City of Johannesburg, backed by a multi-disciplinary task team from various law enforcement agencies, has vowed to continue its rigorous inspection and enforcement campaign to ensure compliance among spaza shops in Soweto. This follows an urgent directive from President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling for the immediate closure of shops implicated in selling contaminated food, which has led to a series of tragic deaths and illnesses among children.
Several people, including young children, tragically died, while others fell ill after consuming suspected poisonous snacks purchased from local spaza shops. The outbreak has sparked widespread concern, and residents have demanded swift action to prevent further harm. Many welcomed the President’s intervention, calling it a long-overdue response to the alarming health crisis.
“We no longer trust the food products that foreign nationals sell to our kids and to us,” one local resident expressed. “If they are allowed to continue operating, they should stock products only from South African-owned factories. They shouldn’t have their own factories because we no longer trust what they are selling. We are not sure what we’re eating anymore. Maybe we’re eating human mince. Our kids and brothers often disappear, and we don’t know what’s happening. So we are very sceptical now. If they are allowed to operate, they should stock only from local factories.”
While the President’s response has been hailed by the community, many residents are calling for continued vigilance beyond just the closure of implicated spaza shops. “I’m happy with what the President said because we all wanted him to speak out,” another resident said. “And I’m glad to see the City of Johannesburg taking action. But we are saying, the city’s efforts must not stop here, just because the President has spoken. We need this to continue.”
In response to the growing concern, the City of Johannesburg, alongside law enforcement agencies, is conducting intensive inspections to ensure that all spaza shops in Soweto are compliant with health and safety regulations. The ongoing campaign is aimed at preventing further public health risks and restoring residents’ confidence in the safety of the food sold in their communities.
The crackdown on spaza shops highlights the larger issues around food safety and regulation in South Africa, especially in informal sectors like spaza shops, where oversight is often lax. As the inspections continue, the city has committed to taking decisive action against any shop found to be selling harmful or unsafe food products.
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