North West Health Inspectors, municipal officials and police are cracking the whip on businesses and shops that are in contravention of the Environmental Health Act. Unannounced raids, led by the Executive Mayor of the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, Nikiwe Num, were conducted in the area.
This follows complaints from residents about the sale of expired goods at various shops.
Authorities travelled the length and breadth of the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda Municipal District, inspecting most food outlets and other retail stores.
At Ventersdorp, several shops owned by foreign nationals were permanently closed, for not complying with the Environmental Health Act.
While a shop in Wolmaransstad was closed because of its messy state, the outlet also received its power supply from an adjacent shop.
A fine was issued to the owner and he was instructed to clean the place.
Num says they are conducting the raids following complaints from communities.
She highlights some of the problems they encountered during their inspections.
“We are going to sit down. Sit down with your SARS, Home Affairs, and consumer regulator, because there are laws that govern the kind of product and what needs to be included in the product package. There must be a batch number, manufacturing date and expiring date. Now, all this shop owners, most of them tell us they get food that do not have manufacturing dates and the food that is expired; where the food is expired they put another expiry date.”
Some residents want harsh steps to be taken against shops which do not comply with the Environmental Health Act. They want them permanently closed.
“There are inspectors that are available but they do not do their job. They do not visit to check if we eat the right food.”
Another resident says, “Let these kinds of shops be closed until they are clean and everything is okay.”
Mayor Num says they have laid charges at local police stations and will follow through until the process is complete.
“We got to cases that we have opened where we found gross violation of our laws here in Wolmaransstad, we wanted to arrest one of the foreign nationals for bridging electricity, but we could not get official from the municipality to come and confirm. One of the Pakistani guy in Ventersdorp, we have closed it permanently and a case has been opened and the police will investigate and we will be going to court with the owner,” Num.
A shopkeeper at Wolamaransstad urged others to comply with the Environmental Health Act.
“I am advising them to start cleaning properly in the morning, so the shop does not need to be closed when the authorities are here. So, like us, we start cleaning in the morning and it’s easy that way,” says shop owner Goni Pofayeni.
Num says they will re-visit shops that were in contravention of the Environmental Health Act, to ensure compliance.
