Local authorities have reported a sharp rise in applications for Certificates of Acceptability (COAs), with over 1,200 submissions recorded last week. The surge follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for spaza shops to register amid growing food safety concerns.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Tuesday, Environmental Health Practitioner Zachary Rudolph, registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), provided details on the influx. “From the 18th to the 22nd of November 2024, we’ve received a total of 1,230 new applications for Certificates of Acceptability,” he said.
Rudolph noted that while most applications came from spaza shops, some formal businesses and institutions also applied. He further commented on the number of spaza shops operating in the city: “We do have a total number of spaza shops, the keyword is known spaza shops to us, and that total is 3,270 within the city but there are additional unknown premises”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm
