This was announced on Wednesday by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velinkosi Hlabisa, who said more work needed to be done to ensure the sector was properly regulated and complied with necessary health and safety regulations eating.

The government, in response to the numerous deaths of children, apparently due to foodborne illnesses after consuming snacks purchased from Spaza stores, mandated the registration of all sellers.

The original deadline was Tuesday, December 17, 2024.

The minister stressed that the deadline was set to respond to the urgent need to ensure compliance with health and safety standards.

“Registration ensures that all Spaza stores meet minimum standards, regardless of their past operations,” Hlabisa said.

However, noting concerns raised by some key stakeholders regarding the delay, he said the municipal processes for adopting and adapting regulations published in the Gazette on November 7 are highly regulated and require consultations in order to bring them to fruition. GOOD.

Hlabisa added that a lot of work had also been accomplished during the 21-day registration period.

“In consultation with the President, the Government has therefore decided to extend the registration deadline for all spaza shops and other food outlets until February 28, 2025.

“Ahead of the revised deadline of February 28, 2025, the government will continue in all its spheres to implement the action plan to address the foodborne disease crisis and illicit trade in goods across the country” , said Hlabisa.

He said that during this period, the multidisciplinary team handling this outbreak learned valuable lessons in a short period of time, particularly regarding the need to strengthen regulatory enforcement of spaza shops and other small points of sale of food products.

“We would like to emphasize that registration alone does not mean a business is eligible to trade. To obtain a business license or permit, business owners must comply with all related health and municipal regulations running a business,” Hlabia said. .

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