Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has reaffirmed the municipality's stance on excluding foreign nationals from operating spaza shops in the capital city despite criticism regarding the constitutionality of this decision.
During an imbizo in Soshanguve, Moya reiterated that spaza shops in Tshwane are exclusively for locals, despite criticisms that this move is unconstitutional.
She said: “In Tshwane the spaza shops are for locals. Now we are in trouble because people are tapping us on the shoulders and saying, but the constitution says… We said we don’t care.”
Moya's declaration was met with applause from the audience, and she justified the stance by citing the city's high unemployment rate of 34%.
“We have 34% unemployment in this City, those are our brothers and sisters. I don’t think this is the time to be politically correct,” she said.
She believes that empowering local entrepreneurs is crucial, especially during these challenging times.
The mayor's stance aligns with her political party, ActionSA's #Spaza4Locals campaign, which aims to transform township economies by empowering South African entrepreneurs and tightening regulations.
She told residents to prepare themselves to run spaza shops as soon as foreign nationals have been “chased”.
“Let’s not chase these people we have been chasing for nothing. When we close down the spaza shops, be ready with yours. When you see that we are at that corner, hire the house next to it so that you can start your spaza shop there,” she said.
Yesterday she announced that the City has activated a disaster operations centre to address the increase in foodborne illnesses linked to unsafe food-handling practices and contamination at spaza shops and informal food outlets.
“This activation comes as part of a national call to action to protect public health and prevent further tragedies. Over the past months, the foodborne illness crisis has had devastating consequences across South Africa, with Gauteng being one of the hardest-hit provinces. The crisis has claimed the lives of at least 22 children to date,” she said.
She said the centre has been activated at Level 2, enabling a multi-sectoral response to manage and mitigate this crisis effectively.
“The centre will coordinate resources and expertise from key City departments, including the Health Department, Environment and Agriculture Management Department, Emergency Services Department, Economic Development and Spatial Planning Department, Tshwane Metro Police Department and the Communication, Marketing and Events Department,” she said.
According to her, the centre will ensure swift action to inspect spaza shops, confiscate hazardous substances and enforce compliance with municipal health and safety regulations.
“Daily situational reports will provide updates on the number of inspections conducted, cases addressed and actions taken. This will ensure transparency and allow us to track progress effectively,” she said.
She said the City will implement measures to strengthen food safety practices in the informal economy beyond enforcement.
“An online registration portal for spaza shops and informal traders will be launched to streamline compliance processes,” she said.
Additionally, she said, the City will roll out training programmes on food safety, digital literacy and regulatory
adherence to empower informal traders with the tools they need to operate safely and sustainably.
“We recognise the critical role that spaza shops play in Tshwane’s economy and communities. However, the Mayoral executive is unapologetic in that we will not compromise on our efforts to ensure that all spaza shops comply with the City’s bylaws,” she said.
Pretoria News