By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Free State MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Ketso Makume, has ordered a hardline crackdown on non-compliant spaza shops, warning that all unlawful operations must be shut down.
Makume dismissed claims that government alone is to blame for the proliferation of foreign-owned tuck shops operating outside the law, instead pointing to widespread non-compliance and community complicity.
He has called on law enforcement agencies to act decisively against shop owners who flout regulations, stressing that businesses failing to meet legal and health standards must be closed without hesitation.
Makume condemned unsanitary conditions in some tuck shops, including owners living inside premises where food is sold and the presence of animals in retail spaces, describing the situation as unacceptable and a direct threat to public health.
He also placed responsibility squarely on landlords, accusing them of enabling illegal operations.
“Landlords must be the first to account for the kind of businesses operating on their properties. It cannot always be government that is blamed while communities and property owners are actively involved,” he said.
Makume urged residents to report non-compliant shops in their neighbourhoods, saying community action is critical in enforcing the law.
He conceded that enforcement has been weak despite the existence of a dedicated compliance unit within the department, admitting it lacks the necessary powers.
“That unit must be strengthened to open cases and shut down illegal businesses independently,” he said.
His remarks follow a recent multi-agency operation in Maluti-a-Phofung, where authorities seized illicit goods and made arrests in areas including Bluegumbosch, Boiketlo and Phuthaditjhaba.
The operation resulted in the confiscation of illicit cigarettes worth over R18,000, flavour pipes, illegal gambling machines and an unlicensed firearm. About 16 foreign nationals were detained for verification.
Makume warned that the crackdown will intensify, with authorities targeting all illegal spaza shops operating outside the law.
