Municipalities across the country are being urged to carry out audits on spaza shops owned by foreign nationals. 

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has made the call.

There are renewed concerns over the safety of goods sold at such outlets after the recent deaths of several children in Gauteng and the Free State.

The children fell sick after allegedly consuming products bought from their local spaza shops. 

Last month, a shop owner was arrested in eThekwini for selling expired goods. 

In Clare Estate, two spaza shops were closed down, and others were fined for improper use of premises.

Motsoaledi said the government also expects all spaza shops to be tax-compliant.

`All the spaza shops must be registered, and when you register, you must show us papers, legal papers - why you are here? How did you come to South Africa? Who gave you the permission to be here?

`If you don`t have such papers, you can`t run a spaza shop. Those who will produce papers and say, `Yes I`m here, I`ve been given papers by the department` they must register for tax.`

`The inspectors, especially health inspectors, must help us. You can`t run a business on the same premises where you run a business, you sleep in there, you cook in there, you eat in there.`