The Gauteng authorities says companies that missed the registration window might be closed down. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
The house owners of spaza retailers and different meals dealing with amenities have mentioned the lack of awareness across the registration of their companies has led to delays, as they rushed to satisfy Tuesday’s deadline set by President Cyril Ramaphosa after the deaths of a number of youngsters who ate contaminated gadgets.
Scores of individuals had been ready in queues on the Jabulani Civic Centre in Soweto on Tuesday morning — the final day for them to register their companies with the municipality as ordered by Ramaphosa on 15 November to make sure they adjust to meals security laws.
Salomendaba Mofokeng, who has been working a spaza store within the space for twenty-four years, advised the Mail & Guardian that she had gone to the municipal workplaces just a few occasions however was advised every time that she didn’t have the best supporting paperwork.
“I got here on Friday, with all of the paperwork, as a result of they’ve checked all the things. I’m left with just one certificates that I must re-apply for. It’s just one certificates however they’re telling me I must comply with the queue once more,” the pissed off Mofokeng mentioned.
Different girls who run meals companies within the space additionally lamented the lack of awareness from officers.
“It’s not even truthful as a result of the safety guards don’t let you know that, while you come again, you should deliver one, two, three, 4. They let you know you should deliver an ID solely, and now I discover out I need to deliver different paperwork, and I don’t have all these issues,” mentioned one lady, who requested to not be named, asking for an extension of the registration deadline.
“We’re anticipated to fail already, as a result of we’re going to go away this place — and it’s tiring,” one other lady mentioned.
A few of the paperwork required when submitting an software for a meals enterprise embrace the bodily and postal tackle; an outline of the products or providers that the enterprise will promote or present to the neighborhood; the citizenship standing of the applicant and the passport quantity, a allow or legitimate visa for foreigners.
The applicant should additionally present an affidavit stating that they don’t promote unlawful items and that their enterprise will function based on the relevant norms and requirements.
Mofokeng was ready in one other queue practically two hours later to submit her certificates however she mentioned she would depart if she couldn’t finalise her paperwork on Tuesday.
“If right now I don’t come proper, I’m going to maintain all my papers and I’ll work in my store. If they arrive, I’ll inform them that I took the initiative to come back [re-register],” she mentioned.
“All these days when the president mentioned we should do that, I’ve tried. I ran up and down. I don’t even have cash now. We closed the store; we aren’t working. We are attempting to repair this. There isn’t a cash coming in however there’s cash going out.”
The Gauteng provincial authorities mentioned in a briefing final week that, as of 10 December, 13 616 spaza retailers had been issued with registration varieties. Of those, 1 916 varieties had been returned and a pair of 605 purposes had been submitted by non-South African spaza store house owners. About 541 spaza retailers had been closed for non-compliance.
The provincial authorities mentioned companies that missed the registration deadline can be closed down.
Cooperative Governance and Conventional Affairs Minister Velenkosi Hlabisa is anticipated to supply an replace on the re-registeration of companies on Wednesday, his spokesperson mentioned.