The spaza shop debate dominates headlines, but the real danger lies elsewhere. While officials target foreign and unregistered spaza shops, the root issue—deadly pesticides like terbufos and aldicarb—remains unaddressed. These toxic chemicals, used to combat rat infestations caused by poor municipal services, are linked to child fatalities. Misguided crackdowns ignore systemic problems, risking economic harm and leaving communities vulnerable. It’s time to focus on the real threats before more lives are lost.
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By GG Alcock*
Its dominating our headlines, screens and certainly our township streets at the moment. The primary visual on screen and topic on the media’s lips being registration of foreign spaza shops!
The real tragedy outside of kids and families being poisoned is the complete lack of focus on the real issue.
Here is what Cyril said in his Friday address according to News 24:
Several meetings took place to come up with measures to put an end to the deaths which Ramaphosa said had been caused by highly hazardous chemicals terbufos, aldicarb, and an organophosphate known as galephirimi.
And
“There is also no evidence that the problem is confined to spaza shops owned by foreign nationals only,” he said.
Now authorities are racing around enforcing registration of spaza shops and inspecting the food in these stores. BUT there is no evidence that the poisoning is a result of unfit, outdated or even counterfeit foodstuffs, all the evidence points to the deaths being related to the above pesticides and insecticides which are sold on township streets, door to door and sometimes even at traffic lights. These are used in homes and spaza shops, and according to the prez and to the minister of health are the primary cause of deaths and extreme illnesses. Other children food issues have come from school feeding schemes, school yard vendors but generally are not fatal when I look at media reports.
SO why are we not focussing first on getting these deadly chemicals off the streets and homes? I have not seen any report or official focus on this. So once all the spazas are closed the pesticides are still there!! Madness. And why do people & spazas find the need to use these hectic chemicals, primarily rat infestations of major proportions as a result of municipal lack of removal of household and traders garbage which then piles up in wasteland areas izigangi. Also sewage spilling over into the streets. These are Municipal issues caused by service delivery issues which are worse in townships than suburbs. That’s the source of the problem and the reason people need to put these chemicals next to food stuffs, why spazas (all spazas not just foreign) put these next to soft packaged snacks and foods.
But now instead of prioritising the removal of “hazardous chemicals terbufos, aldicarb, and an organophosphate known as galephirimi” authorities and health inspectors are racing around looking for unfit or old foodstuffs in spazas and forcing registration of or closing primarily foreign spazas. A missed opportunity to address the real issue, and one which will return even if you close every single spaza shop, foreign or not.
So whats the issue:
- Unregistered spaza shops?
- Foreign owned or foreign traders spaza shops?
- Poisons used to deal with rat and pest infestations, caused by municipal non delivery?
I’ll let you decide…
But let’s talk to spaza shops. First of all the bylaws and regulations have been there all along, why have the authorities not addressed these in the past? And after this purge will they enforce these going forward? Please…. The streets are full of illegal cigarettes, poisons, counterfeits, sewage, garbage, and and and which the authorities ignore or don’t address or get a bribe to ignore.
There are also spazas and spazas. While many spazas are hole in the wall and often unhygienic and expensive, the majority of spaza shops, what I call spazarettes are highly efficient, well priced, clean and premium spaces. Do not judge a sector by its miscreants or the minority and heavy handedly apply a one size fits all solution.
Whats the consequences of closing all foreign spazas and unregistered South African spaza shops especially the spazarettes?
- Cost of taxi fares, shoppers now must take a taxi to the formal store, generally a R30 + return trip.
- Impact on the FMCG sector, this is a R 187 b sector. Whats the impact on Tiger, Unilever, P&G, Pepsico, Coke, and and and. Trust me the formal sector will not just pick up the slack, so these business will feel the pain. And what about the downstream businesses in the formal economy, Yoco, Shop2Shop, Ikhokha providing card and VAS facilities, the bakkie delivery brigade and the fuel they use among others.
- Rental fees paid by foreign traders for their spaza spaces. My calculation is that South African households earn R 25 b in rental. Already we are having stories of South Africans registering spazas on a foreigner’s behalf, pity or economic reality?
- These outlets pay VAT but don’t claim VAT on their purchases. Whats the impact of R 187B turnover in unclaimed VAT?
- Social grant recipients get credit on foodstuff & essentials from the spazarettes generally interest fee, a vital need in mampara week when your budget is not as long as the month. Now they will need to do without.
- Electricity vouchers, data and airtime, bus tickets, money transfer, DSTV, Showmax, Netflix voucher purchases happen at the spaza counter at massive scale, what now when you run out of electricity at 9pm?
And if you think I am exaggerating the impact on local communities read this story about residents pleading for the return of foreign spaza shops… https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/watch-community-want-evicted-foreign-spaza-owners-back-as-life-becomes-too-costly-20240922
Oh the foreigners stole the South African spaza businesses you say! Rubbish the entry of Shoprite PicknPay, Spar, etc etc entering the kasi killed the SA spaza owner. And don’t for a second think that for every foreign spaza closed a South African is waiting to leap behind the counter. FMCG retail is brutal, low margin, long hours, complex, South Africans generally aren’t interested in this sector or perform poorly at it and excel at other sectors rather. Or they would rather get a passive rental. So that leap over the counter is not going to happen.
The likely beneficiaries are probably USave, Shoprite, PnPay and so on within the township spaces, but I suspect not that much either, I think you will find a dampening effect on the FMCG space across the board! A shopper has to dip into her shopping budget to pay for a taxi and for her shopping on the seat next to her, so will spend less. This is just once example of why this is not such a simple positive cycle for formal retailers. Not to mention that formal retail costs a manufacturer brand owner more to supply than to the wholesaler or informal sector so their margins come under pressure!
But hey its not all doom and gloom, the spaza sector is just one part of the township economy and many other sectors are not feeling the impact. A friend of mine at the 9 B pa Joburg Fresh produce market where more than 40% of turnover is informal traders says they are not seeing an impact, 60 000 beauty salons continue, the massive fast food and out of home food, 50 000 South African owned kotas, amaplati, shisanyamas outlets seem to not be affected, kasi panel beaters & mechanics, the 10 000 + kasi bakeries (although they often supply spazas with fresh bread) not to mention the R 20 b backroom rental sector and many others soldier on.
We are dealing with a typical populist government attempt to stop Haitian’s eating your dogs and cats. And the failing municipal and provincial politicians join the populist band wagon, waving their fingers PW Botha style, and at the end more harm is done to our economy than good, and kids will still be in danger.
Do we have an issue with unregistered businesses, yes, illegal immigrants, yes, municipalities enforcement, yes, pesticides, yes, rats, yes, but the biggest problem is that the way our authorities are dealing with these issues is not going to fix any of these problems and the unintended consequences are going to hurt us all!
To come full circle what is poisoning our children?
- Unregistered spaza shops?
- Foreign owned or traders spaza shops?
- Poisons used to deal with rat and pest infestations?
Read also:
- A look into the world of foreign-owned spazarettes; bracing themselves for looting – GG Alcock
- 🔒 Bulls beat a path to China stock shop but foreigners dare not go in
- Big Agriculture isn’t concerned with the toxicity in our food
*GG Alcock is a South African author, entrepreneur, and expert on informal economies.
