Government has extended the deadline for registration of all spaza shops and other food-handling facilities to February 28, urging municipalities to still reserve capacity to assist those who will be registering.

The initial deadline was December 17.

As part of government’s response to address foodborne illnesses that have claimed the lives of children across the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa last month said all spaza shops and food-handling facilities must re-register with their respective municipalities.

The President directed that all spaza shops and other food-handling facilities must be registered within the municipalities in which they operate within 21 days from the date of the announcement and that any shop that is not registered within that time frame and does not meet all health standards and requirements would be closed down.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa was on Wednesday updating the media on government’s work in implementing the action plan to address the challenges arising from food-borne illnesses, where pointed out that government still needs to do more work to ensure the sector is properly regulated and adheres to health regulations.

He highlighted that, notwithstanding the holiday scaling down of operations, municipalities must still reserve capacity to assist those who will be registering.

“We also urge business owners to continue with their registration process within their respective municipalities and not wait until the next registration deadline.”

Hlabisa explained that government understands the concerns raised by some stakeholders regarding the registration deadline for spaza shops.

“…however, it must be noted that the initial deadline was set to address the urgent need to ensure compliance with health and safety standards following the tragic incidents of food-borne illnesses. Registration ensures that all spaza shops meet minimum standards, regardless of their past operations,” he said.

He noted that, in considering whether or not to extend the registration deadline, government considered its commitment to supporting small businesses, prioritising health and safety, ensuring inclusivity and fairness and maintaining its integrity.

BUSINESS REGISTRATION

Hlabisa emphasised that registering a shop or facility was not the end of the process.

“We need to explain that we are dealing with two distinct processes. The first process is business compliance, where you need to register the spaza shops or any food-handling business.

“The second process is compliance with health regulations. This process does not depend on whether you are registered or not. If you don’t comply with the health regulations, the business is closed down immediately,” he explained.

He pointed out that 1 041 spaza shops have already been closed for noncompliance with the regulations.