THE government has been urged to explain and provide more details on what information is needed for spaza shop owners to be able to register their businesses.
The SA National Christian Forum (SANCF) said registration extension would serve no purpose if civic education to the spaza owners is lacking.
The remarks came after the government announced that the deadline for spaza shop registration has been extended to February 28, next year.
The announcement came after businesses and civil organisations called for a deadline extension. This was after a 21-day period directed by President Cyril Ramaphosa for ended on Tuesday.
Briefing the media, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Velenkosi Hlabisa, announced that the government would extend the deadline and considered the commitment to supporting small businesses and prioritising health and safety.
“The government understands the concerns raised by some stakeholders regarding the registration deadline for spaza shops but 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,” Hlabisa said.
Hlabisa said the registration would ensure that all spaza shops met the minimum standards, regardless of their past operations. He said any businesses that did not comply with the health regulations or were run by foreigners who were in the country illegally, would be closed down, even if they were registered.
He said there were two distinct processes during registration, the first being business compliant and the second compliance with health regulations.
However, SANCF president Bishop Marothi Mashashane said all these needed to be explained to the municipalities’ officials and members of the public, including the requirements for each stage.
“SANCF welcomes the good decision by our government to extend the registration period of spaza shops further to February 28, 2025, especially since the scourge of children’s deaths seem to have been stopped, which was the main reason for our organisation to call for this exercise.
“The extension of the deadline will be more important if the municipal workers know what to do and what information business owners need to have for what.
“This extension will serve no purpose when civic education to the Spaza Shop owners is lacking, for example on his statement, the Minister of COGTA says there are two different processes at hand, ie the registration of business permit and application for the business license followed by compliance certification, all these needs to be explained to the municipal officials and members of the public, including the requirements for each stage,” Mashashane said.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Economic Development MEC Legobang Maile said issues of compliance have plagued the spaza shop registration process, with challenges relating to zoning being at the core.
Maile said a lot of structures were built without zoning provisions and consent use, with some of the structures having been built on critical municipal infrastructure such as water pipes.
He said this was a serious issue that had significant implications not only for spatial and economic development in the province but also for the safety of the communities as well.
“Municipalities have been encouraged to issue notices of correction to the owners. In some instances, such as where structures are erected on critical infrastructure, there will be a need for demolition in order to protect this critical infrastructure that services communities.
“In such cases, demolition will only proceed where regularisation cannot be achieved. It is important to state that our approach to this matter is developmental.
“This means that demolishing structures is our last resort as we recognise the financial and economic implications of such an intervention. The Gauteng provincial government will only opt for this resort when there is absolutely no possibility for regularisation and where the cost of keeping the structures far outweighs the benefits to communities in the immediate and long-term,” he said.
Maile said in some cases, the main challenge was that the township proclamation was not yet completed. He said township establishment was a multifaceted procedure that requires adherence to a prescribed set of processes and follow-ups and must be overseen by a skilled and registered town planner.
It also requires coordination with other disciplines including geologists, land surveyors, civil and electrical engineers. Various assessments must be conducted, including but not limited to environmental impact assessments and traffic impact assessments.
He further said that in some cases, the properties in question may be agricultural holdings on which, by law, townships cannot be established. In this instance, reverting the property to farmland is a prerequisite preliminary step, one which is followed by an extensive approval process for the excision of holding.
This, Maile said, would generally take at least two months.
He said in cases where township proclamation was not yet completed, as was the case in some townships, interim permits were being considered by municipalities while the proclamation process is being undertaken.