“Every business operating in our city must adhere to the by-laws established by the council.
“All Spaza shops are required to possess a Certificate of Acceptability from the Department of Environmental Health and a Business License from the Department of Economic Development in
Ekurhuleni” said ANCYL spokesperson Poula Makola.
He said, unfortunately, many foreign-owned Spaza shops in our area fail to meet these essential legal requirements.
Makola added that anyone seeking refuge in another country must abide by by-laws.
“Currently, foreign nationals are unlawfully Monopolising the Spaza shop economy in our townships. Not only are they ignoring legal standards but also by selling counterfeit products and selling at lower prices, making it impossible for South African-owned shops to compete, often leading to their closure,” he added.
He mentioned that they cannot stand idling while these illegal activities persist happening under our watch in our
communities.
“We urge the Executive Mayor and the MMC responsible for Economic Development to
take decisive action and shut down all non-compliant Spaza shops.
“We commend the recent operations led by the Executive Mayor and the MMC of Developmental Planning and Real Estate in collaboration with law enforcement towards the signing of the Cooperation Agreement with the Minister of Police,” Makola said.
He further mentioned that these measures are not enough; all non-compliant Spaza shops must be closed immediately.
“In the State of the City address, Executive Mayor Ald. Nkosindiphile Xhakaza committed to formalizing and registering 700 Spaza shops within this financial year.
“As the ANCYL, we call on both the City and the Gauteng Department of Economic Development to provide financial support to at least one South African-owned Spaza shop per township-based Voting District (VD), and also ensure that more than 50% of these shops are youth and women-owned,” he added.
He highlighted that the ANCYL in Ekurhuleni is giving the municipality 80 days to close all foreign-owned, non-compliant Spaza shops in the City.
“Should this not occur, we will mobilise our branches and PYA structures to assist the government in enforcing its by-laws.
“During this 80 days, the ANCYL will lobby the ANC Youth Caucus in Ekurhuleni to submit an urgent motion in Council to address this issue,” Makola added.
He additionally cited that they will lobby for this call at the upcoming ANCYL Gauteng Provincial Congress, set to convene this year to take a resolution in this regard
By Simphiwe Nkosi
