In a bold move, four Ladysmith businesses have been shut down as the Alfred Duma Municipality intensifies its crackdown on non-compliant businesses dealing with food items.
The closure comes in the wake of a rigorous business inspection operation conducted by the Municipality’s Department of Planning and Human Settlement (DPHS), under the Local Economic Development section, with law enforcement officers in tow.
According to the Alfred Duma Municipality’s Communications Unit, the operation targeted five stores in Ladysmith, uncovering severe violations that left officials with no choice but to shut down four of the establishments.
The Alfred Duma Municipality’s Communications Unit confirmed that Cllr A. Warrasally, Portfolio Chairperson and Exco Member, led the inspection programme with determination. The operation revealed alarming instances of non-compliance, including businesses lacking the necessary legal documentation to operate, as well as unsanitary and hazardous practices.
The four businesses closed during the operation are as follows:
- King Stores on Illing Street: Shut down for selling expired food and operating without proper legal documentation.
- Mnandi Fish and Chips: Forced to close after officials discovered that the shop was using old cooking oil to make fat cakes.
- Zama Zama Number 3 in Steadville: The owner was arrested, and the shop closed for operating without any legal documentation.
- Gabriel Shop (Tsakane Shop): This establishment was shut down because the owners were found to be living inside the store, and the business was also without legal documentation, leading to the owner’s arrest.
As the Alfred Duma Municipality continues its firm stance on ensuring businesses comply with regulations regarding food safety and legal documentation, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) is also conducting inspections across the country. These inspections, which have already begun in Soweto and the Eastern Cape, aim to ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Act (CPA No. 68 of 2008) and other relevant laws.
Moreover, the NCC has expressed concern over widespread non-compliance discovered during inspections, particularly with the sale of expired or improperly labelled goods.
The commission reported finding baby food, sweets, cool drinks, noodles, snacks, biscuits, juices, and other consumables that were either past their expiry date, incorrectly labelled, or labelled in foreign languages without proper ingredient information. “The sale of such items poses a serious risk to the health and safety of consumers,” the NCC stated.
As explained by the NCC, the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) makes it clear that every consumer has the right to goods that are of acceptable quality, safe, and in compliance with the relevant standards. Section 55 of the CPA emphasises that goods sold must not only be safe but must also meet the requirements of any applicable laws or regulations.
Lastly, the NCC warned that businesses found in violation of the CPA could face serious consequences, including the potential recall of unsafe goods and prosecution by the National Consumer Tribunal. Penalties for non-compliance could amount to as much as R1 million or 10% of the supplier’s turnover.
As nationwide attention now turns to compliance and safety standards in food businesses, what are your thoughts on these developments? Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 1
Agree with the closures however in Newcastle Industrial area many foreign nationals are running spaza shops, I personally bought cream biscuits one-day only too discover the packaging had green and black mold don’t think the owner would take the product back. On many occasions there has being however I believe the officials doing the inspections only looked at the documentation of the owners ect, no proper food inspection was done, we have a side walk hawker selling cooked food, he is a permit however I doubt his food his up to standard, cause he has no water to wash his utensils neither his hands, he uses the bush as a toilet, can one imagine the unhygienic conditions under the makeshift shop. Time a proper inspection gets conducted. Especially the road by Formsa plastics.