A year ago, ActionSA called for the deployment of health inspectors, immigration and SARS officials to inspect spaza shops in Naledi, Soweto, following similar tragic incidents where children’s lives were lost after allegedly consuming biscuits purchased from a spaza shop owned by a foreign national.
Due to lack of decisive preventative action from our law enforcement authorities, a similar incident occurred on 6th October 2024, where the lives of eight children, aged between 6 and 10 years, were lost allegedly after consuming snacks from a spaza shop in Naledi.
The normalization of such tragedies in our townships, resulting from the lack of proper oversight as well as the implementation of existing legislation and by-laws over spaza shops, is not only deeply concerning but has proven to be fatal.
Over time, local spaza shops have been predominantly taken over by foreign nationals, and yet health inspections on these premises have not been conducted regularly. This failure has left South African communities exposed to significant health risks stemming from poor conditions in these shops.
We strongly believe that had the health department and SAPS acted decisively when we raised this issue last year, these young innocent lives would have been preserved.
ActionSA, now, is calling on the government to:
1. Develop a plan to reclaim these businesses from undocumented foreign nationals who are operating spaza shops;
2. Formulate a synchronized system that will absorb and equip SA citizens with the necessary human and financial resources to be able to run these spaza shops, which will help curb the high unemployment rate, particularly among the township youth;
3. Immediately deploy labour inspectors, law enforcement and SARS officers to conduct regular checks in spaza shops owned by illegal immigrants;
4. Ensure that the existing legislation and by-laws are adhered to, failing which consequence management should be applied.
As a party that puts the interests of residents above all, ActionSA remains committed to ensuring that the rule of law is upheld and is calling for residents to remain calm while we pursue this matter through the channels within our constitutional framework.
Our public representatives will not rest until those responsible are held accountable. ActionSA wishes to extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
ActionSA Calling For Decisive Action Following Children’s Deaths in Soweto
A year ago, ActionSA called for the deployment of health inspectors, immigration and SARS officials to inspect spaza shops in Naledi, Soweto, following similar tragic incidents where children’s lives were lost after allegedly consuming biscuits purchased from a spaza shop owned by a foreign national.
Due to lack of decisive preventative action from our law enforcement authorities, a similar incident occurred on 6th October 2024, where the lives of eight children, aged between 6 and 10 years, were lost allegedly after consuming snacks from a spaza shop in Naledi.
The normalization of such tragedies in our townships, resulting from the lack of proper oversight as well as the implementation of existing legislation and by-laws over spaza shops, is not only deeply concerning but has proven to be fatal.
Over time, local spaza shops have been predominantly taken over by foreign nationals, and yet health inspections on these premises have not been conducted regularly. This failure has left South African communities exposed to significant health risks stemming from poor conditions in these shops.
We strongly believe that had the health department and SAPS acted decisively when we raised this issue last year, these young innocent lives would have been preserved.
ActionSA, now, is calling on the government to:
1. Develop a plan to reclaim these businesses from undocumented foreign nationals who are operating spaza shops;
2. Formulate a synchronized system that will absorb and equip SA citizens with the necessary human and financial resources to be able to run these spaza shops, which will help curb the high unemployment rate, particularly among the township youth;
3. Immediately deploy labour inspectors, law enforcement and SARS officers to conduct regular checks in spaza shops owned by illegal immigrants;
4. Ensure that the existing legislation and by-laws are adhered to, failing which consequence management should be applied.
As a party that puts the interests of residents above all, ActionSA remains committed to ensuring that the rule of law is upheld and is calling for residents to remain calm while we pursue this matter through the channels within our constitutional framework.
Our public representatives will not rest until those responsible are held accountable. ActionSA wishes to extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.