Mzwandile Ngwadi
AUTHORITIES in the small town of Mbizana, Eastern Cape, have closed shops for failing to meet health and safety standards on Tuesday, August 25. This followed an inspection conducted by Alfred Nzo District Municipality Health Services in partnership with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality, SAPS, Department of Labour, Department of Home Affairs (Immigration) and Veterinary Public Health Officers.
According to Luncedo Walaza, the Alfred Nzo District Municipality spokesperson, the aim of the inspection was to safeguard public health and ensure that food-handling stores comply with prescribed health and hygiene standards.
“Four shops were closed for unhygienic conditions and condemned damaged foodstuffs,” he added.
He said the operation focused on inspecting shops and food-handling establishments to assess general cleanliness, food storage and handling practices. The condition of the shops as well as compliance with the applicable municipal health requirements formed part of the inspection. Walaza added that environmental health practitioners also checked food products to identify expired, damaged or improperly stored goods. Shop owners and food handlers were reminded of their responsibility to maintain high standards of hygiene and food safety, and some shops were forced to close.
He explained that these raids by municipal health services played a critical role in protecting communities through food control and health surveillance of premises. He said part of the Alfred Nzo District Municipality service delivery plans included regular inspections of food premises to encourage compliance with health regulations.
He encouraged business owners to obtain and maintain the required Certificate of Acceptability and to ensure that food is stored, prepared and sold under safe and hygienic conditions.
“The national environmental health standards also provide for inspections, compliance recommendations and health education during food-premises inspections,” Walza said, adding that the inspection in Mbizana was part of the municipality’s commitment to protect consumers, prevent foodborne illnesses and promote a safe and healthy environment for communities across the Alfred Nzo District.
In 2024, incidents of foodborne illnesses allegedly claimed several lives, including children in South Africa. As a result, a call was made by President Cyril Ramaphosa for all spaza shops and foodhandling facilities to register in their municipalities. The Alfred Nzo District Municipality recently urged all food-handling businesses to cooperate with environmental health practitioners and to make public health and food safety a priority.
