The ANC will intervene in the ongoing tension between spaza shops owners who are mostly immigrants.
Secretary General made the announcement during a doorstep briefing with journalists during a visit to the grave of struggle icon Albertina Sisulu who was also the wife of late anti apartheid veteran Walter Sisulu.
Mbalula’s comments come on the back of demonstrations in Soweto and other townships that resulted in the destruction of some of the foreign owned shops.
Locals are accusing foreigners of among others of selling expired and fake products some of which has been blamed for the deaths of children.
“We are going to intervene in a big way with regards to spaza shops. We will be convening the cluster ministers to give answers to this matter, and work with provinces to immediately resolve this challenge,” said Mbalula.
The law currently requires that spaza shops ( tuck shops) to be registered but the department of Small Business said it compliance of informal businesses was the responsibility of municipalities.
The Gauteng provincial government is already on the ground in the province’s township talking to locals who are in most cases owners of the buildings that houses the disputed shops.
Finance MEC Lebogang Maile is leading the process and has already visited some of the hotspots.
“It is critical that we protect the lives of South African residents in the face of growing public health concerns emerging from foreign-owned shops in townships,” said Maile during a visit to Soweto.
The process spearheaded by Maile will be visiting all spaza shops across Gauteng to check the level of compliance in line with the Health Regulations and Consumer Protection Act in the area.