Three undocumented persons were arrested and a total of R21 000 worth of fines were issued during inspections of spaza shops and a wholesaler in Strand on Tuesday 10 and Thursday 12 December.
The inspections are part of a larger effort to address illegal practices and ensure foreign owned businesses comply with health and hygiene requirements.
The operations were also in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s drive for the spaza shop registration deadline yesterday (Tuesday 17 December). The aim is to bring unregistered shops into compliance with the law after spaza shops were implicated in the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto.
On Tuesday, five spaza shops in Rusthof, Broadlands, and Sercor Park in Strand were inspected by members of Strand police and the Strand Community Policing Forum (CPF) as well as inspectors from the City of Cape Town’s community services and health departments. Fines amounting to about R8 000 were issued for hygiene issues, expired goods, and insufficient labelling.
“Two shops were fined for violations. One shop was fined R4 000, and the second was fined R2 000,” said Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee member for Community Services and Health.
On Thursday, immigration officials from the Department of Home Affairs joined the operation too.
“Our role was to inspect and validate the authenticity of enabling documents such as permits,” said Home Affairs spokesperson Duwayne Esau.
Authorities swooped on an undocumented shopkeeper in Main Road, Strand, while two others were detained in Beach Road. The three men, aged 31, 32, and 40, who are Bangladeshi citizens, were initially arrested on charges under the Immigration Act and were scheduled to appear in the Strand Magistrates’ Court on Friday 13 December.
However, according to court records, they were released from custody for reasons undisclosed.
The owner of Beach Road Café admitted that he was unaware of his two employees being undocumented.
“It’s devastating because I trusted them, and now I have to manage the shop myself,” said the 53-year-old owner.
He further explained that both men took time off to go to Cape Town every three months, but he never asked questions since it was their personal time. “It’s South Africa’s policy, so there’s nothing we can do. I’m now a South African citizen, but when I came to the country from Pakistan in 1996, people were always very welcoming to immigrants,” he shared.
During the inspection of a wholesaler in Main Road, fines were issued after it was alleged that rats and insects were found in their stock, and their health certificate not being visible.
Van der Ross failed to confirm the alleged presence of rats and insects, but she confirmed that fines were issued during the operation.
“Joint operations were conducted at three premises – two spaza shops and one wholesaler. Fines totalling up to R13 000 were issued at all three non-compliant premises,” said Van der Ross.
Strand CPF secretary Brendyn Alloys stated that the operations were also aimed at preventing xenophobic attacks on foreign-owned businesses.
“As the Strand CPF, we are acting in the best interests of children, families, and communities to ensure that no unfortunate incidents are reported,” said Alloys.”
When DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette enquired whether the inspection of only foreign-owned businesses could be seen as xenophobic, Alloys replied: “If there are spaza shops owned by South Africans, we will also inspect those.”
The inspections, led by the Strand police and CPF, will continue throughout December to address further illegal activities and protect communities.
