Pretoria: National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has issued a warning that the police, through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), will be closely monitoring adherence to the law. This announcement coincides with the initiation of integrated multidisciplinary compliance inspections across food handling facilities, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers, including spaza shops and general dealers.

According to South African Government News Agency, the President announced last week a massive door-to-door inspection campaign targeting all spaza shops, tuck shops, and other informal traders, beginning in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The inspections will be conducted by teams comprising the South African Military Health Services, environmental health practitioners, the South African Police Service, the National Consumer Council, labour inspectors, among others. The initial phase of these inspections is expected to conclude within a month.

General M
asemola emphasized the expectation of full cooperation from the public, stating that police will continue to visit warehouses nationwide to ensure compliance and prevent the proliferation of illegal activities. He made this statement during a media briefing in Pretoria, alongside Ministers leading the multidisciplinary teams responsible for the national response to food-borne illnesses. The Commissioner warned of firm action against non-compliance or lack of cooperation.

NATJOINTS has urged communities to register their businesses and act as responsible citizens. The organization also appealed to the public to refrain from obstructing the registration process or conducting unauthorized inspections. This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive for all spaza shops and food-handling facilities to register with their respective municipalities within 21 days.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, highlighted the necessity of business registration for ensuring compliance and protecting the
public. He noted that unregistered enterprises, particularly in townships and rural areas, are ineligible for government support. Minister Tau stressed the importance of operating within the legal framework to enable government assistance.

Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, reinforced that only businesses meeting South African legal requirements will be allowed to operate. She called for a comprehensive approach to address the ongoing crisis, emphasizing that legal stipulations apply to both South Africans and non-South Africans alike.

Ndabeni-Abrahams pointed out the limited capacity of municipalities to verify the authenticity of businesses and individuals, prompting collaboration with other departments like the Department of Home Affairs. She urged business operators across townships and villages to register their enterprises and cautioned against taking the law into their own hands.