KwaZulu-Natal authorities are intensifying efforts to ensure compliance among food-handling facilities, manufacturers, and retailers. This comes as the registration deadline for spaza shop owners, mandated by President Cyril Ramaphosa last month, closed on Tuesday. Non-compliant shops now face potential closure.
The registration drive is part of the government's strategy to combat a rise in foodborne illnesses, which have claimed several lives this year and left many, including children, requiring medical attention after consuming contaminated food purchased from local vendors.
In eThekwini, 2,500 spaza shops were registered last week. However, KZN Premier Thami Ntuli expressed alarm over the widespread non-compliance uncovered during inspections.
"In two spaza shops that we visited, we were shocked to uncover rotten meat in refrigerators and expired baby food. The safety of our people remains our key priority," Ntuli said.
While municipalities are still processing registrations, Ntuli reaffirmed the province's commitment to ensuring public safety and holding violators accountable.