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Noleen Petersen Telnr: 051 404 7813 Email: Noleen.petersen@media24.com
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Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Action to be taken against business owners who fail to comply
Tuck shops under new regulation TEBOHO SETENA According to the Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, the number of applications received from South Africans for the registering of tuck shops exceeds the number submitted by foreigners. The South African government had set Friday, 28 February, as the final deadline for tuck shop and small business owners to apply for registration in terms of the plan to regulate this sector of the economy. The application process commenced in November last year in reaction to a spate of children being admitted to hospital due to suspected food poisoning. They fell ill, presumably, from snacks they had eaten. A significant number of deaths were recorded among the affected children. The registration of tuck shops and small businesses is government’s effort in addressing this crisis. Mojalefa Mphapang, provincial spokesperson for the aforementioned department, said the process of verifying and approving applicants was ongoing. He confirmed that 641 of the 7 521 applications received from across the Free State had been approved. Mphapang further said that the process was being run at the 51 registration and business licensing centres the Free State government established in all four districts, along with the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM). The number of applications
Ketso Makume,Free State MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
received are as follows: ) Thabo Mofutsanyana – 2 016; ) Lejweleputswa – 1 366; ) Fezile Dabi – 2 069; ) Mangaung Metro – 1 653; and ) Xhariep – 417. “Owners who have failed to apply for the registration of their businesses during the window period, will not be allowed to operate. Once a business is registered, a further process to
obtain a permit or a licence will be undertaken as per municipal by-aws and other compliance requirements,” said Mphapang. The registration process required business owners to submit legal documents, like the following: ) a completed application form with personal and business details; ) a certified copy of a South African identity document (ID); and ) proof of residence.
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Ketso Makume, MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, has warned that action will be taken against those who fail to comply. “It is also important to take into account that forging registration documents is a criminal offence, and can result in serious penalties,” said Makume. “Furthermore, the department, together with its stakeholders, has embarked on an intensive programme to provide this sector with both financial and non-financial support. The non-financial support includes training on food handling, compliance with the Consumer Protection Act and Foodstuff, Cosmetics, and Disinfectants Act, as well as business management skills.” Mphapang said inspection was ongoing in this sector to ensure compliance. It is hoped that this process will, in addition to its original purpose, aid in determining the exact number of both South Africans and foreign nationals trading as tuck shop keepers and vendors in Bloemfontein. Tuck shops and mini supermarkets are operated in Bloemfontein townships, parts of the CBD, as well as in the more suburban areas. Some business owners operate from steel container structures. Consumers purchase basic items such as bread, airtime, milk, data, and electricity here According to surveys, tuck shop trading (dubbed the “township economy”) generates about R900 billion in terms of meeting the country’s demand for food and basic necessities.
Bogus agents face penalty TEBOHO SETENA The two men convicted for defrauding property buyers will know their fate when reappearing in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on 4 April. Teboho David Kolokomane (52) and his co-accused, Teboho Diamond (43), were found guilty of fraud during their appearance on Friday, 28 February – ending a case dating back to 2012 – after they failed to refund two victims who purchased a house and a site, respectively. The pair’s conviction was a result of probing by the Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation detectives. Col. Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the men operated illegally as property estate agents under a now defunct company, Kolokomane and Partners, in Bloemfontein. He said after several attempts, Diamond and Kolokomane failed to refund the victims. The victims deposited R120 000 and R50 000 into the accused pair’s bank account in September 2012. The R120 000 was for a house, while the R50 000 was for a site. “After numerous attempts to conclude the deal and occupy the new home and site had failed, the complainants asked for a refund – without success. The matter was then reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation detectives, who discovered that the accused had used the house as bait and defrauded the unsuspecting victims,” said Mohobeleli. He said further probing discovered that Diamond and Kolokomane were not registered with the Estate Agency Affairs (EAA) Act. The convicted men did not have a certificate issued by the EAA Board, which regulates the estate agency sector. Agents and estate agencies are obliged to renew this certificate annually.
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