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Parliament Investigates Spaza Shop Deaths and Foreign Business Permits
The Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance, Namane Masemola, has raised concerns that the deaths of children from contaminated food sold by spaza shops in 2024 could have been intentional.
During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, MPs questioned the legitimacy of business permits granted to foreign nationals operating these shops. Masemola suggested that the incident highlighted potential weaknesses in South Africa’s immigration policies.
MPs expressed doubts about whether the more than 2,900 foreign nationals granted permits actually met the necessary criteria. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has committed to reviewing these business permit applications.
Evidence presented to the oversight committee revealed that some South African business owners were allegedly aiding foreign nationals in running spaza shops, either by sharing their business permits or employing them directly.
Masemola emphasized the need for a political discussion around the country’s immigration laws and noted that the deaths may have been deliberate, though there have been no further incidents since the issue was raised. COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed that 520 health inspectors were deployed for physical checks, but cautioned that regulating the sector would take time.
While assurances have been made that contaminated shops have been shut down, MPs are calling for greater accountability regarding the children’s deaths
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Sourced:EWN
