Spaza shops in Strand have come under intense scrutiny after a search for illegal substances in Casablanca allegedly uncovered expired goods and revealed that shops are operating without proper permits.
The operation, conducted by local police, the Strand Community Policing Forum (CPF) and Casablanca Neighbourhood Watch last Tuesday (12 November), was a joint effort to ensure compliance and address community concerns.
This follows a viral social media video from early November showing tablets, allegedly drugs, found in a chip packet purchased by a child at a spaza shop in Sir Lowry’s Pass.
Subsequently, a Casablanca resident reported another spaza shop allegedly selling drug-laced chips.
“We visited the identified shop and searched their stock, but we were unable to find any drugs,” said CPF spokesperson Niklaas Thysen.
While no drugs were found, the spot-check operation revealed expired biscuits, flour, and porridge at other Casablanca spaza shops.
“The most worrying part for us was when we saw that some of these spaza shops were operating without permits and not observing municipal by-laws,” added Thysen.
Somerset West police spokesperson Sergeant Suzan Jantjies confirmed that an inquiry has been opened in regard to the packet of chips allegedly found to contain illegal substances in Sir Lowry’s Pass. “The package was handed in at the Sir Lowry’s Pass Satellite Police Station, and will be sent for analysis,” she said.
Meanwhile, Strand police spokesperson Warrant Officer Nico Beukes emphasised that their role in the operation was primarily to raise awareness and ensure compliance. “We found no expired goods, and no arrests have been made,” he added.
The Casablanca shopkeeper accused of selling drug-laced chips denied the allegations. “It was fake news! I don’t know why they think we would sell drugs in our chips, but there is nothing we can do about it,” said the 35-year-old Somali national.
He explained that he sources sealed stock from local wholesalers in Strand and conducts thorough checks to ensure fresh products at the point of purchase. Following the operation, he has stopped selling the chips in question to avoid further accusations.
On Thursday (14 November), another video started circulating of someone who had apparently purchased an expired drinking yogurt from a spaza shop in Broadlands Park.
The product allegedly expired in March this year.
A spaza shop owner who has been running her business in Broadlands Park for the last eight years welcomed the scrutiny that spaza shops are getting if it helps weed out the “bad apples”.
“I feel so bad for what is happening,” said the 34-year-old entrepreneur.
She further implored members of the public to refrain from tarring all shop owners with the same brush. “Please avoid assuming all spaza shops are guilty. Just like everywhere in life, there are good people and bad people. Just because one spaza shop is selling expired goods does not mean all of us are,” she explained.
She suggested that expired goods might occur because of the high turnover rate of stock, with items like chips selling out within days. This makes regular expiry date checks less necessary, but could see unsold products missed.
She also criticised the lengthy process of obtaining operating permits, which she believed might explain why some shops fail to observe by-laws.
She added there could be no excuse if spaza shops have poor health standards.
“We have to renew our certificates every six months, and then they come to do inspections,” said the shop owner.
The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross, confirmed that health inspections are carried out at spaza shops in the city biannually. Of 118 spaza shops in the Helderberg, only six have been fined for operating without valid permits. “Environmental health practitioners have issued fines for spaza shops in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, Chris Nissen Park, Nomzamo, Lwandle, and Asanda Village,” divulged Van der Ross.
Both shop owners encouraged the community to cooperate with authorities tasked to combat the sale of expired or drug-laced goods and, in this way, help ensure the community members’ safety and that spaza shop doors remain open.
“We are not trying to harm the community because this is our community too,” said the Broadlands Park shop owner.
