Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality – In an effort to address concerns about foreign-owned businesses and spazas, the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) has acted by hosting an empowerment workshop for foreign nationals. The workshop, held at the Gonubie Resort on Thursday, 16 November 2023, aimed to educate, empower, and support the community of foreign nationals in the city.
This workshop comes after the raid conducted by the Municipal Health Services (MHS) together with various BCM Departments and the South African Police Services focusing on food premises including spaza shops and chisanyama’s.
BCMM Acting General Manager for Municipal Health Services Luyanda Madikizela emphasized the importance of ensuring safety and health for residents and combating non-compliant businesses.
Portfolio Head for Public Safety and Protection Services in the Metro Councillor Helen Neale-May also addressed the audience, highlighting the need for compliance with Municipal bylaws and the importance of working together to achieve this goal, “As in every country there are norms and standards in operating small business, BCMM is converging the workshop for spaza shop owners,” Neale-May added.
The workshop featured various stakeholders, including the Department of Home Affairs in the Immigration Unit, South African Revenue Services (SARS), Fire Services, Law Enforcement, Shelf Company Warehouse (business registration), and Occupational Health Services Requirements (OHS). The day culminated in a Q&A session, allowing foreign nationals to gain a deeper understanding of Municipal bylaws.
BCMM also clarified concerns expressed by residents regarding the workshop. No funds were spent on the workshop, and none of the foreign nationals in attendance were illegal immigrants. The Metro will continue to conduct raids on spaza shops, working together with the police to arrest illegal foreigners, confiscate expired goods, and close non-compliant shops.
Qaqamba Damane from MHS explained the regulation 638 requirements to foreign nationals and highlighted aspects such as personal hygiene, cleaning, in case of emergency kit, no smoking in the shop, shop building requirement and legal documentation they need to have for an up and running tuck-shop.
The Metro will offer several empowerment programs for local spaza shop owners, and it is in the process of facilitating funding to support them. The Metro has also established container malls in several townships and encourages anyone interested in participating in the business support program to contact their Local Economic Development offices.
The workshop is part of the Metro’s continuous efforts to promote health awareness and compliance. By empowering foreign nationals with the knowledge and resources needed to operate their businesses safely and legally, the Buffalo City Metro is working towards a more harmonious and thriving community for all residents.
