Gauteng embarks on a clean-up of fake goods

© mirco1 – 123RF.com

“We will be kick-starting our ‘O Kae Moloa’ [where is the law] campaign to wipe out the selling of illegal and fake goods or products in all spaza shops across the province. We will be embarking on unannounced visits to a number of spaza across the length and breadth of the province,” said the spokesperson for the MEC of Economic Development, Castro Ngobese.

The spot checks follow a spate of attacks and looting of businesses owned by foreign nationals in Soweto and elsewhere in the province in August.

“A number of shops owned by foreign nationals were targeted and looted by some unruly elements in some parts of Soweto and in other areas. This saw a number of our people taking the law into their own hands.

“We salute the role played by the men and women in blue uniform. We commend them for acting decisively to restore order.

“This brought some level of stability and order in all the affected areas. The police have been mandated to investigate the circumstances that triggered the attacks and looting, or their underlying reasons,” said Ngobese.

The visits form part of the provincial government’s efforts to bring about order and stability in the township business landscape under their O Kae Molao campaign.

The campaign will be spearheaded by the Department of Economic Development (GDED).

“These unfortunate developments should not be de-linked from the broader economic and social challenges faced by our people.

“It is within this context that as government we are working hard to deliver on our electoral mandate to create decent jobs and a better life for all,” said Ngobese.

The GDED said while the attacks and looting could partly be attributed to allegations - that some of the shops are involved in selling illegal and fake products, there will be a clean-up of such goods in the market.

“These goods and products will no longer have space or market in our townships. We are putting a stop from now onwards, working closely with all relevant enforcement agencies and entities tasked with the responsibility to vet or monitor such goods,” said Ngobese.

A team from the provincial government has already been dispatched to monitor and intervene where necessary.

Pilot operations were undertaken within the City of Ekurhuleni from the 30th of August 2018. The Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni, Mzwandile Masina, led a joint operation of South African Police Services, Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, Home Affairs, Health, and city planning officials into the communities of Reiger Park, Tembisa and Thokoza.

Over the three-day operation, 51 spaza shops where inspected; 37 shops were closed down for further investigation; over 25 undocumented immigrants were detained; and over eight tons of suspicious goods were seized and sent to the health laboratories for testing.

“The City of Ekurhuleni will also investigate how it may begin to collaborate with communities in monitoring and enforcing by-laws in the City,” said Ngobese.