Cape Town - In a crackdown of unregistered spaza shops across the metro, the City of Cape Town’s Environmental Health Service received over 1 000 applications for Certificates of Acceptability in just one week.

The surge in applications follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that spaza shops need to be registered, amid numerous food safety incidents around the country in recent months.

The critical document indicates a food-handling establishment’s adherence to hygiene and food safety standards.

Mayco member for community services and health, Patricia van der Ross said the applications were only awarded on submission of all relevant documentation and a physical inspection to ensure the premises complied with legislative requirements.

Van der Ross cautioned against misconceptions related to “expired” food products, saying “it is important to note that there is no provision for ‘expired food’ in the current South African Labelling Regulations.

“There have been two incidents in Cape Town that have sparked widespread interest, namely the makeshift butchery in Mfuleni, and the discovery of food past its sell-by date in Khayelitsha.

“Investigations into the incidents are ongoing,” Van der Ross said.

The Drakenstein Municipality has also issued an urgent call to spaza and house shop owners in the region, urging them to register their businesses before the deadline of December 6.

The plea comes on the heels of alarming revelations from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which recognised food-borne illnesses prevalent due to inadequate safety practices as a national disaster on November 19.

The municipality’s mayor, Stephen Korabie, emphasised the need for informal shop owners to comply with health regulations, highlighting ongoing efforts to ensure local businesses uphold public safety standards.

“We recognise the vital role that spaza and house shop owners play in the informal sector economy, but they need to be legal and deliver a safe service,” he said. Korabie said pertinent measures include obtaining the necessary permits and implementing effective waste disposal systems.

He said the Law Enforcement division has already been conducting joint operations together with SAPS, the national Department of Home Affairs, and health inspectors of the Cape Winelands District Municipality.

The municipality’s records indicate that 139 spaza and house shops in the municipal area currently comply with planning legislation.

To facilitate compliance, Drakenstein spaza and house shop owners are invited to register their businesses at the Paarl Civic Centrel.

Registration is available from Monday to Thursday, between 8am and 4.45pm, and on Fridays from 8am to 3.30pm.

byron.lukas@inl.co.za

Cape Argus