Katlehong, Ekurhuleni – Community members in Siluma View are calling for urgent, coordinated inspections of local spaza shops by national and municipal authorities, following resident-led checks that allegedly uncovered expired food products and unsafe trading practices.
The community has undertaken its own informal audits of township spaza shops, reporting the discovery of numerous expired food items. Residents say that when they raised concerns with certain shop owners about purchased goods they believed to be past their expiry date, they encountered hostility—though they also acknowledged that other business owners responded cooperatively.
A community leader spearheading the local inspection efforts explained that the initiative emerged after repeated encounters with questionable products across multiple outlets. “Each time you come across one problem, they are selling expired food,” the leader noted. “We are not fighting with them. It can be a mistake, maybe you didn’t check a certain shelf. But when you go from shop to shop and find the same issue, we decided to engage them directly.”
The community’s approach involves requesting that shop owners jointly identify and mark expired stock to prevent resale. “We pen it together because I don’t trust that you might remove the code and write yours and then resell it again,” the leader explained. Responses from operators have been mixed: some described as “arrogant,” others willing to collaborate.
Additional concerns raised include hygiene and living conditions within trading premises. The community leader pointed out that some shop operators sleep in the same spaces where food is stored—a practice uncommon in formal retail chains such as Pick n Pay or Woolworths. “If ever they want everything to go smoothly, let them comply,” they stated.
The leader stressed that the community’s focus is not limited to shops owned by foreign nationals. “I’m not targeting illegal immigrants only. I’m targeting the whole entire spaza shop in South Africa,” they clarified. Broader expectations include tax compliance, employment of local residents, and adherence to South African business regulations to support economic growth.
Residents also expressed concerns about product authenticity. The community leader cited observable differences in taste and chemical reaction for items like Coca-Cola and Eno when compared to identical products bought from formal retailers. While emphasizing these are consumer observations rather than scientific findings, they called for official verification. “We don’t know whether they are manufacturing or they don’t. But whatever they are selling, it is not accordingly,” the leader said.
The community is urging coordinated action from the President, the Ministry of Health, Home Affairs, and Ekurhuleni municipal officials to conduct systematic, shop-by-shop inspections. The leader underscored that the objective is compliance, not closure: “If they are complying, they can sit. If they are selling good things, they can sit. We are fighting those whom are not complying with the regulations of South Africa.”
While advocating for the deportation of individuals found to be in the country illegally, the community leader acknowledged that determining legal status falls under the jurisdiction of Home Affairs officials, not residents. The primary demand remains food safety: ensuring all products sold are safe for consumption by adults and children alike.
“We are fighting a peaceful war,” the leader concluded. “Not in a harsh way. We want government to assist so that we can win this politely.”
City of Ekurhuleni officials conducted an initial inspection operation in the area on Friday, checking food validity and business documentation at selected spaza shops. Residents hope this signals the start of sustained, official oversight to address ongoing community concerns.