Ethiopian spaza shops: restoring trust amid food safety concerns
Durban — Ethiopian spaza shop owners gave back to the community when they donated food parcels to Canelands residents in Verulam, north of Durban.
The World Light Church, Durban branch Local Pastor Bongumusa Hlophe said that this annual initiative aims to give back to the neighbourhood that supports them, especially in light of recent tragic events involving food safety.
The Church members consist of immigrants from Ethiopia who have established spaza shops throughout Verulam.
Representing the Church, Daniel Abera, an Ethiopian shop owner, explained the importance of their contributions.
“We want to thank the community for supporting and protecting us in troubled times. We also wanted them to know that we are not bad people and we want to ensure that they trust us and continue to patronise our businesses,” he stated.
He further reinforced the message of goodwill aimed at ensuring growing community concerns.
The backdrop of the charitable act is the shocking incidents of food poisoning that recently claimed the lives of three children in uMzumbe, a tragedy that has struck fear into the hearts of many, including other loss of lives in Gauteng.
In a bid to endear themselves further to their patrons, Abera emphasised that the church, which is home to over a thousand spaza shop owners, has never experienced issues with food safety.
“We regularly inspect the spaza shops to ensure hygiene and safety for our customers,” he said.
He further said that the spaza shop owners are here to serve the community.
The event received commendation from local leadership, with ward councillor Fakazi Mdletshe expressing gratitude for the efforts made.
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Daily News