Gauteng MEC Provides Update on Spaza Shop Registrations, 2,605 Foreign Nationals Already Applied

• The deadline for registration for spaza shop owners closes on Friday, 13 December
• In Gauteng, over 4,500 people have registered, with the majority of them being foreigners
• South Africans are questioning why foreigners are allowed to apply for spaza shops

The deadline for spaza shops to be registered is drawing closer, and over 51,000 have already applied.

With the closing date for registrations on Friday, 13 December, the Gauteng Finance and Economic Development MEC has provided an update on how many things are progressing in the province.

Over 2,000 foreign nationals applied

MEC Lebogang Maile revealed that 4,521 people have already submitted application forms, 2,605 of whom are foreign nationals.

"At present, 2,605 applications have been submitted by non-South African spaza shop owners, based on data from the City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, West Rand district and Sedibeng district municipalities.”

He reiterated that these were just applicants and had not yet been accepted.

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"We shouldn't also focus on whether it's foreign nationals or locals and all that because even those foreign nationals who applied, it's not given that they're going to be accepted. So, at this point, we're talking about registering," he said.

21-day period just for applications

Maile reiterated that the 21-period, ordered by President Cyril Ramaphosa, was just for submitting applications, stating that there would be another period for the applications to be processed.

Ramaphosa ordered the registration period in response to the growing food-borne illnesses crisis.

20 children have since passed away, reportedly from eating snacks purchased at spaza shops.

South Africans annoyed by figure

The announcement has not sat well with South Africans, who questioned why foreigners are even considered in the first place.

@TeffuJoy said:

“Not bad. Please prioritise South African first.”

@MthabineJustice added:

“No foreigner must own a spaza shop.”

@MotodiMaseloane asked:

“Why are foreign nationals even entertained?”

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@SceloLatha said:

“And these ANC sellouts will allow this😭.”

Kamo Jeremy asked:

“Do they allow foreigners to open spaza shops in their country?”

Robert Mothobi questioned:

“Do these applicants have passports? How did they get in the country? Here's an interesting question: how long do you think I'll survive in India or Pakistan if I entered the country illegally and tried to open a business."

South Africans question number of applicants

In a related article, Briefly News reported that over 51,000 spaza shops were on the registration list ahead of the deadline.

President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered that all spaza shops needed to be registered by 13 December following a crisis in the country.

South Africans have weighed in on the number, questioning how many operated legally before the president's order.

Source: Briefly News