ANC calls on govt to close all spaza shops and 'register them afresh' in bid to deal with food safety incidents

JOHANNESBURG - To deal with the rising incidents of children getting sick from unsafe foods, the African National Congress (ANC) is calling on the government to close down all spaza shops and re-register them afresh.

In the last month, at least twelve children across the country have died after allegedly ingesting food items bought at their local spaza shops.

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The children's deaths, coupled with several instances of people getting sick under similar circumstances, has led to calls for greater regulation in the spaza shop sector.

At a media briefing on Thursday afternoon, the secretary-general of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula, said there's an urgent need for regulatory intervention.

"We call upon our national government to lead regulating the spaza shop environment and ensure all spaza shops close down and register afresh to ensure we have got the right people serving our communities. Over and above that, deal with those operating illegal spaza shops but also illegal in terms of immigration laws of our country."