Tafelsig spaza shops were closed this week after City of Cape Town health inspectors found alarming hygiene failures that residents say put families at risk. Community members reported finding maggots in a loaf of bread and subsequent inspections led to three shops being ordered to close.
Tafelsig Neighbourhood Watch chair Vernon Fortune told Daily Voice, reporters: ‘Two have been closed due to hygiene issues, it is alleged that the guys are sleeping in the shops and not in a separate entrance.’
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‘The latest incident was Wednesday morning, law enforcement was there and they allegedly found expired chicken that is being sold to the public.’
Ward councillor Norman Adonis confirmed that shops in the ward had been closed for non-compliance, citing mice, cockroaches and health hazards and saying inspectors acted under the relevant health legislation.
The closures follow wider efforts to register and regulate informal retailers across the city: the City previously reported over 6 500 registered spaza shops in the metro, with a number closed during compliance operations.
Food safety is a pressing public-health issue. Globally, nearly one in 10 people fall ill each year from contaminated food. An estimated 420 000 people die annually, underscoring the danger posed by unhygienic food outlets (who.int).
Residents said the closures offer short-term relief while calling for regular inspections and support for legitimate traders so households do not have to choose between cost and safety.
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Picture: Ziyaad Douglas / Gallo Images
