More than 4,000 health inspectors needed as spaza shops proliferate

South Africa is 4,450 health inspectors short if it is to meet the norm of one health practitioner per 10,000 people. The country has only 1,751 health inspectors and needs 6,201 to meet the requirement, which would require hiring an additional 4,450 inspectors. Of the provinces, Gauteng needs the most inspectors, at 1,510.

It has 457 employed, despite a population of more than 15-million. Health inspectors are crucial as they monitor the compliance of spaza shops, along with other businesses handling food products. The country was recently hit by a food poisoning crisis which was blamed on spaza shops’ poor management of food products.

As result, the government ordered the shops to be registered and monitored by municipality health inspectors. Chief director of planning in the department of co-operative governance, Vincent Rabothata, told parliament’s portfolio committee on small business development that the shortage was due to budget constraints at national level. He added that the department had been encouraging the government to prioritise the appointment of environmental health inspectors.

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“We did indicate in the previous engagement that given the budgetary constraints and the national fiscus, the DG of cogta and DG of health issue a joint circular to encourage municipalities to prioritise the appointment of environmental health inspectors and to make provision in their budgets,” Rabothata said. While the shortage is a concern within the department,spaza shop registrationnow stands at more than 80,000 nationally, the department told parliament. Rabothata said KwaZulu-Natal has the most spaza shops at 19,255, followed by Gauteng with 18,302 and Mpumalanga with 9,950.

The Eastern Cape has 9,725 spaza shops, while North West has 8,075 and the Free State 6,747. Limpopo accounts for 3,716 spaza shops, while the Northern Cape has 3,119. The portfolio committee said the department was not making any progress or providing a clear structure. Chair Masefako Dikgale said the presentation gave no hope to locals who wanted to participate in the economy.

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