Shipping container tuck shops questioned
eSikhaleni community is divided over newly established tuck shops operating in the area.
THE massive increase in the number of tuck-shops operating in shipping containers in eSikhaleni has left residents divided.
This following a notice that circulated in the area last month demanding them to be shut down. These mostly Pakistani-owned shops were described as unsafe and unhygienic.
According to the notice, some shop owners were struggling to make profit and some residents said they were cheaper than formal shops.
‘I only buy my groceries at the container shop because I can save,’ said one resident.
Meanwhile others declared them as illegal and unhealthy.
‘These containers are everywhere now, and owners sleep and bath inside. This is a clear violation of health regulations,’ said another resident.
A shop owner who didn’t want to be named for fear of his life, said they only provided a service to the community and did not break any rules.
UMhlathuze Municipality ward 21 councillor and member of the Executive Committee, Cllr Musa Mbokazi told the Zululand Observer that even though there hasn’t been a formal complaint, according to the regulations, they are practicing illegally.
‘The law stated that home industries should be practiced in their own houses. Movable assets such as the container shops that served in a public space, without approval, may cause danger and become a health threat to the community.’ said Mbokazi.
