MK Party Submits Bill To Exclude Foreign Nationals From Spaza Shop Ownership
GAUTENG– The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has submitted a bill aimed at reserving the spaza shop sector for South Africans. The party has raised concerns that South Africans are facing stiff competition from undocumented foreign nationals operating spaza shops.
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According to SABC News, the party's Member of Parliament, Carol Mafagane, said that the bill was not aimed at exclusion but at expanding South Africans' participation in local economies. She said the bill proposes a measured intervention by the state, which will support greater inclusion of historically disadvantaged South Africans.
MK Party argues for the exclusive spaza shop sector
The party, which was declared the official opposition after the 2024 general elections, said that the sector is facing challenges in enforcement and oversight. Mafagane also pointed out that not all economic activities in the township are contributing positively to local development.
The spaza sector has been under the spotlight after hundreds of children suffered from food poisoning after allegedly eating spaza shop food. The National Consumers Commission (NCC) launched nationwide spaza shop inspections in 2024. The NCC teamed up with various government departments during the inspections, and scores of spaza shops were found to have been non-compliant with municipal bylaws.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a deadline for spaza shop owners to register their spaza shops. The Gauteng provincial government revealed that a significant portion of business owners who submitted applications were foreign nationals. The government also launched a blended grant for spaza shop owners Black Business Council warned South Africans not to register on behalf of foreign nationals.
Source: Briefly News
