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Over 13 000 spaza shops registration forms issued in Gauteng

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Over 13 000 spaza shops registration forms issued in Gauteng:

As the spaza shop registration deadline looms, a total of 13 616 registration forms have been issued to local and foreign owners across Gauteng since registration started on 15 November 2024.

This follows a directive issued by President Cyril Ramaphosa that all spaza shops and food-handling facilities must be registered with their respective municipalities within 21 days.

Giving an update on the progress made on spaza shop registrations at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Gauteng Finance and Economic Development MEC, Lebogang Maile, reported that as of 10 December, 13 616 spaza shops were issued with registration forms and of these, 1 916 have been returned.

Maile said some of the applications returned were incomplete and missing critical supporting documents.

“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 Municipality (comprising Merafong, Rand West City and Mogale City Local Municipalities), and the Sedibeng District Municipality (comprising Emfuleni, Midvaal and Lesedi Local Municipalities),” Maile said.

The current engagements with township commercial property owners have helped to improve the number of registrations.

“The registration process has been simplified to ensure that business owners are not consumed in red tape, while simultaneously ensuring that compliance is achieved. Additionally, three municipalities, including the City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane and City of Ekurhuleni, have digitised their application process, while other municipalities are in various stages of digitising the process.

“This is happening alongside the process of municipalities establishing by-laws on spaza shop ownership. Presently, municipalities are adopting a draft model standard by-law,” Maile said.

He noted that since the call to register spaza shops within 21 days, the Gauteng Provincial Government has identified and established registration centres across all five regions.

“A total of 85 registration centres were established, with their locations and required documentation for registration communicated using various media platforms including social media, commercial media, community media, as well as government communications platforms.

“Outreach programmes have also been put in place to accelerate registrations and information dissemination. All regions have initiated outreach programmes, with over 15 000 spaza shops reached by the programme,” Maile said.

Over 500 spaza shops closed for non-compliance

On spaza shops compliance, Maile reported that a total of 541 spaza shops have been closed due to non-compliance.

Non-compliant businesses include those without Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CICP) registration, which is a legal requirement for operating a business in South Africa.

“Other issues of non-compliance include a lack of certificates of acceptability or comment from Environmental Health and non-payment of operating licences that are obtained from municipalities. Businesses operating from unsafe premises and within a hazardous environment have also been closed for non-compliance,” Maile explained.

The MEC said due to incomplete documentation being provided by spaza shop owners, as of 8 December 2024, there has not been a reconciled figure on the total number of compliant and non-compliant spaza shops.

“Most of the outstanding documents from applicants include unapproved internal floor layout plans, approved building plans, consent use, as well as certificates of acceptance and fire safety. Business owners have been advised to acquire this documentation for further processing of their applications.

“Additionally, there are businesses operating from informal dwellings in areas that are not proclaimed. These must first await a directive from the Department of Human Settlements,” the MEC said.

Spaza shops owners have been urged to hand in their applications for registration before the deadline on Friday, 13 December 2024. – SAnews.gov.za 

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Sophiatown: The Lost “Paris of the Transvaal”

Sophiatown’s golden age was the 1940s and 50s. It was a dense, vibrant, and often dangerous neighborhood, characterized by “backyard” rooms, shebeens (illegal speakeasies), and a sophisticated social scene. It was the birthplace of Kwaito’s ancestors and the legendary “Marabi” music—a blend of traditional African rhythms and American ragtime. The streets were home to the most iconic figures of African literature and music: Miriam Makeba found her voice here; Hugh Masekela received his first trumpet from a local priest; and the writers of Drum magazine, like Can Themba and Bloke Modisane, used the neighborhood as their muse. They dressed in Fedora hats and double-breasted suits, channeling the style of Hollywood gangsters and Harlem intellectuals, creating a world that was cosmopolitain, intellectual, and radically multi-racial.

However, the “Bohemia” of Sophiatown was an existential threat to the National Party’s vision of total racial separation. The government viewed it as a “black spot” in a white area. In 1955, the state launched Western Areas Removal Scheme. On the morning of February 9th, 2,000 heavily armed police officers moved in, forcing families into trucks at gunpoint. They were relocated to the newly established matchbox houses of the South Western Townships (Soweto), 20 kilometers away. The resistance was led by figures like Trevor Huddleston, the Anglican priest whose church, St. Joseph’s, still stands today. Despite the slogan “Ons dak nie, ons pola hier” (We are not moving, we are staying here), the bulldozers were relentless.