Government on Wednesday appealed to members of the public to not disturb the registration of spaza shops and other small and medium-sized business enterprises by blocking certain shop owners from participating in the process.

It said while the process of registration of spaza shops, as one of the measures to mitigate the current outbreak of foodborne illnesses and illicit trade, had steadily commenced in various parts of the country, government was concerned about isolated incidents of disruptions, particularly in areas around Soweto which had since been attended to by law enforcement agencies.

Government warned members of the public and any unauthorised bodies from conducting their own unlawful inspections.

Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the closure of spaza shops implicated in food-borne illnesses that had claimed the lives of 22 children in recent weeks, and called for all spaza shops and food handling facilities to be registered with municipalities within 21 days.

He said any shop not registered within 21 days and that did not meet all health standards would be closed.

Government pointed out that lawful joint inspections were ongoing across the country, led by multidisciplinary teams comprising experts and officials from various government departments, State bodies and law enforcement agencies.

“We would like to emphasise that the law allows every shop owner who is a legitimate trader and who meets the legal requirements to own a business in the republic to register a business and trade,” government said.

It said it had been inundated with enquiries and concerns from individual business owners and organised groups about the registration deadline of 21 days and requests for extensions.

“We would like to urge the business community to come forward within this period and ensure that they get their businesses registered without delay. For its part, government will make every effort to assist those business owners who are struggling with the process to comply with the requirements to register,” it explained.