eThekwini: In response to the rising public health concerns and recent fatalities linked to contaminated food, eThekwini Municipality’s Health Unit is set to implement a comprehensive multidisciplinary operational campaign targeting compliance monitoring and enforcement in spaza and tuck shops across the city.
According to South African Government News Agency, this initiative comes amid the growing need for government regulation of informal food outlets. Rose Van Heerden, Head of the City’s Health Unit, emphasized the necessity of both enforcement and public education as integral components of the campaign, slated to unfold over the next two months. The campaign aims not only to enforce compliance but also to educate business owners and the public about safe food practices, thereby safeguarding community health and well-being.
Van Heerden highlighted the importance of educating tuck shop owners about health standards before enforcing regulations. She pointed out the risk posed by the continued sale of unsaf
e food items, particularly to vulnerable children in the community. The campaign will focus on engaging with those who sell to schools, including tuck shops and individual vendors, to promote good safety standards and basic food hygiene.
The campaign will cover various areas, including KwaNyuswa, Embo, Molweni, KwaDabeka, Wybank, Hillcrest, Waterfall, and uMlazi. Teams from Environmental Health Services, Metro Police, SAPS, and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development will be involved. Van Heerden noted that from January to September 2024, the Health Unit conducted over 600 inspections and more than 700 enforcement actions across its three sub-districts.
During a similar operation in November last year, authorities condemned hundreds of food items from over 80 tuck shops in Pinetown and surrounding areas. To protect public health, the teams will check food expiry dates to prevent the sale of expired goods. Shops without legal documents will be closed, and law enforcement partners wi
ll arrest undocumented individuals who lack required business permits. Illegal establishments will be shut down, and compliance notices and fines for by-law violations will be issued.
Van Heerden has urged residents to remain vigilant when purchasing food from informal vendors and to report any product safety concerns to the appropriate authorities. Complaints can be directed to the city on 031 311 3555 or via WhatsApp on 083 560 3974.