READER LETTER | Govt only acts after tragedy

When children died from suspectedpoisoned snacksbought at spaza shops owned by foreign nationals in 2024, the government ordered that all spaza shops must have permits. The mid-December 2024 deadline was later extended to February 2025. Fast-forward to January 2026, when a Gauteng scholar transport accident killed nearly all the young passengers.

This tragedy was not an isolated incident; the provincial transport authorities were not doing their job. It’s the same picture across the country; we see unroadworthy vehicles on public roads as if it’s normal, all because the authorities do not care. After the Gauteng tragedy, transport authorities across SA demanded to see permits from scholar transport operators.

However, their approach was stricter compared to the concessions made for the immigrants owning spaza shops. —Phepisi Radipere