Food poisoning: South Africa spaza shop registration extended to 2025

South Africa has extended the spaza shop registration process to February 28, 2025, in response to the deadly food poisoning incidents that claimed the lives of dozens of children, authorities said on Wednesday.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said the spaza shop registration process, which should have expired yesterday, was extended after many shop owners called for an extension.

Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, Hlabisa said, “42,915 applications were received between 15 November and yesterday. Out of the applications, 19,385 have been approved. In consultation with the President, the government has resolved to extend the registration deadline for all spaza shops and other food handling outlets to 28 February 2025.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa gave the registration order in November as a decisive measure to address the recurring food-borne illnesses that claimed the lives of at least 22 children across the country.

Difficult registration process

Prior to the postponement, spaza owners had reported a difficult registration process, citing bureaucratic hurdles within municipalities as a major challenge, state broadcaster SABC reports.

A spaza shop owner told SABC, “I feel that South Africa is a very big population to be given 21 days. Every day when I came here, it was like crowded; there were a lot of people that were here, and we just had to turn around with no luck.”

Ramaphosa, who classified foodborne illnesses as a "national disaster," ordered that all spaza shops and food-handling facilities must be registered for health and safety purposes after the deaths of the children.

Hlabisa adds that teams of multidisciplinary inspectors will conduct compliance checks on food handling facilities, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers, including spaza shops and general dealers, after the deadline date.

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