There will not be an extension of the spaza store registration deadline, according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Velenkosi Hlabisa.
Hlabisa further made it clear that the ministry will not suggest to President Cyril Ramaphosa that the deadline be extended.
Store owners expressed concerns about the short registration period, but Hlabisa stressed that businesses have had plenty of time to finish the process.
The minister further stated that any spaza outlet operating without the necessary paperwork would be closed, and the owner would be charged as of Saturday.
Hlabisa spoke face-to-face with company owners about these issues during a walkabout at a Tshwane registration centre.
"We do not want to see people arrested because they are breaking the law but operating without will mean you are operating illegally.
"So, if you are interested in these businesses please comply. The application process can take a day or two and you will not sleep in prison for breaking the law," he said.
The deadline for the registration of the businesses was February 28.
The decision to register businesses comes after at least 24 children across the country died from consuming food items bought from spaza shops.
A pesticide, Terbufos, has been found in spaza shops and food items and deemed to be the reason for the deaths.
Hlabisa alerted unregistered businesses to lost chances and regulatory advantages.
Businesses that do not register have received a strong warning from Hlabisa, which highlights the danger of losing out on important prospects and crucial regulatory advantages.
“We will not make any recommendation to the president and there will be no extension,” he said.
To obtain the required compliance certificates, the official advised business owners who had unfinished paperwork to go back to registration centres and finish their applications.
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