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‘We are not selling expired products’ – Somali business

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Somali nationals operating spaza shops across Gauteng are adamant that they are not selling fake or expired products at any of their stores.

This was heard during a Human Rights Commission (HRC) Inquiry into allegations of the sale of such goods.

The allegations led to incidents of looting and unrest in Soweto and surrounds.

Four people were left dead.

Municipalities from across Gauteng as well as other stakeholders are participating in the inquiry.

Somali Community Board chairperson, Amir Sheik, says they don’t manufacture any of the products they sell in their stores.

“We source our goods from a reliable distribution point, we do not manufacture goods to sell. Secondly, our businesses are not run in the dark, we do not operate in darkness, we operate amidst the community, in the most impoverished locations and our business is on the public scrutiny and the public eyes. But there has been a smear campaign against the Pakistani and Somali community and we do not know where the source is coming from, but ours is to abide by the laws of the country.”

Acting manager of the Human Rights Commission in Gauteng, Matthew Du Plessis, says the main purpose of the inquiry is to ascertain whether or not foreign shop owners are indeed selling fake and counterfeit products.

“The main purpose of this inquiry is and it has evolved over time, ever since we began our inquiry process and new developments came about, but the purpose of the inquiry is to obtain information so that we can investigate allegations of fake and counterfeit foods and also look into the effect that these allegations had. The potential connection to the xenophobic violence that occurred because there are lots of allegations going around, it’s a very emotive issue.”

The inquiry continues on Thursday.

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