Home

Nelson Mandela Bay clamps down on illegal, unhygienic food operators

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has increased efforts to clamp down on illegal and unhygienic food operators.  The municipality conducted an unannounced inspection on businesses in the Korsten area of Port Elizabeth.

Operators, who are without the necessary operating certificates, have been given seven days to obtain relevant documentation or they will face heavy fines. It says regular inspections will avoid the outbreak of diseases.

One of the shops in the area was first in the cross hairs, operating without a permit or a waste trade agreement with the municipality.

The majority of shops visited by the health inspectors failed to meet the necessary health and hygiene standards.

Rat poison and meat kept in close proximity were just some of the breaches of the law. “That is why it is important for the metro to be vigilant, to inform people you could see when we were with informal traders. It was more education for to inform them that there are requirements and we are willing to meet them half way especially informal traders to encourage them to comply. It is what you need to run effective business,” says Mayoral Committee Member for Public Health Councillor Lance Grootboom.

Shops that have been closed will be monitored. They will only be allowed to reopen once strict health regulations and criteria have been met.

“The kinds of inspections are routing in nature, they are frequent as it is stipulated in the law that we must comply with. We will come back to monitor the situation in the interest of food safety,” says Deputy Director for Environmental Health, Dr Patrick Nodwele.

However, informal traders say they are not the only ones to be blamed. They say they have been waiting for permits for the past three years.

“They promised us permits but some of us are still waiting until today,” says informal trader, Zoliswa Nombayeka.

Informal trader Thandeka Ngwendu adds, “I am so happy, because at times, we sell our goods in fear as police normally conduct visits to tell us we cannot sell without permits.”

Similar inspections will be conducted in all areas where informal traders are operating.

Author

MOST READ