Over 100 illegal spaza shops in Nelson Mandela Bay, which have been shut down, have reopened their doors in defiance of city by-laws. This was the shocking news that came to light during a raid led by Mayor Babalwa Lobishe, who promised to crack down on non-compliant businesses.
This rise in the number of unregulated shops is a cause for alarm. South Africa is fighting food poisoning, which has claimed lives among the youth. These cases have largely been associated with snacks deriving from unregulated spaza shops.
Mayor Lobishe is keen on ensuring the safety of the public while ensuring that health and safety standards are complied with. The challenge of illegal spaza shops shows how complex the problem is.
This is something that the municipality should be ensuring is corrected in collaboration with the residents and other business people in the area. This will mean Nelson Mandela Bay will be a safer place for all its citizens.
The Illegal Spaza shops are at war with the Mayor Lobishe. What will be a result of this war this time around, or will it be business as usual with illegal operation of the shops? Only time will tell.
