Gauteng MEC of Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, has called for calm in Naledi, Soweto, following reports of angry community members looting, destroying and shutting down foreign owned shops in the area.
This after the death of at least five children allegedly after they ate food from a local spaza shop.
“I will visit the affected areas this coming weekend to interact with spaza shop owners and informal traders.
“We don't want lawlessness in Gauteng and people should not take the law into their own hands. We will intensify the Qondis' Ishishini Lakho – Fix Your Business campaign, as a powerful instrument to crack down on non-complaint businesses across the province, especially in townships,” Maile said.
Commenting on the same incident, the Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs (GOCA) expressed concern regarding the quality of food sold at spaza shops in the townships.
Last month, the Gauteng Health Department revealed that some 207 incidents of food poisoning affecting children had been reported since February this year – resulting in the deaths of at least 10 children.
“GOCA…expresses concern about the sale of sub-standard foodstuff in our communities as they put the health and lives of consumers at risk. It is for this reason that the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, of which GOCA is a unit, launched the Qondis’ Ishishini Lakho — Fix Your Business compliance campaign in Thembisa last month, to encourage businesses to comply with consumer laws and regulations.
“This ongoing multi-stakeholder compliance campaign ensures that all possible areas of non-compliance are monitored. Compliance notices are issued, and fines are levied against businesses that are found to be violating consumer laws and health regulations,” GOCA said in a statement.
The entity said it visited the area on Tuesday following the tragedy.
“While some shops in the neighbourhood have since been shut down by the community, the cause of death is yet to be established, and an investigation is currently underway. GOCA pleads for calm and urges the community to allow the investigation to take its course,” the statement read.
GOCA urged community members to report safety issues they may have in regard to food sold in their areas.
“If consumers suspect that the food they consumed was not in a condition to be sold or consumed, they should report the matter to environmental health practitioners [Municipal Health Services] at their nearest municipality for food testing.
“The matter should also be escalated to the GOCA so that compliance monitoring inspections can be conducted in that area, in collaboration with law enforcement and the National Consumer Commission [NCC] to proactively investigate the matters and penalise those who contravene consumer protection laws.
“The CPA is clear that suppliers are liable for harm caused to consumers by supplying unsafe or defective foodstuffs. Suppliers must provide food of good quality, that is in good condition and free from any defects. Consumers should demand quality by returning to the supplier goods or foodstuff if there are defects, to avoid health risks,” GOCA said. – SAnews.gov.za
