The Rep 16 March 2018

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THE REPRESENTATIVE 16 March 2018
Health department clamps down on street meat
SIMTEMBILE MGIDI
AS PART of a clampdown on
the illegal sale of meat on
the streets of Komani, the
Chris Hani District Municipality
(CHDM) health services
confiscated meat from two
hawkers, Paul Mutotobi and his
brother Piet, in Komani Street
r e c e n t l y.
The Mutotobis had wrapped the
meat in plastic bags and it was
lying on the tar, waiting for
customers who had pre-ordered.
CHDM health inspectors said
they had warned the hawkers
repeatedly, and had engaged with
them since last year in attempts
to help them operate their
EFF in listeriosis ‘ clean up’ at stores
ANDISA BONANI
BORDER-KEI Chamber of
Business chairwoman Adre
Bartis has reached an
agreement with the EFF first to
approach her before they take
up issues with business.
The agreement came after
EFF members raided retail
stores last Thursday in Komani,
taking all Rainbow and
Enterprise products out of
fridges in the wake of the
listeriosis health scare.
Times Live reported on March
7 “EFF calls on ‘fighters’ to
remove listeriosis products that
NOT ON: Police remove the raw meat that was being sold in
Komani Street
Picture: SIMTEMBILE MGIDI
business legally. The brothers had
been told to get a work permit
and find a better site.
CHDM communication manager
Thobeka Mqamelo said CHDM
was charged with the
the EFF national spokesman
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi had called on
the public to visit retail stores
including Shoprite, Pick n Pay,
Woolworths and others to “help
managers and staff of these
retail stores to remove
listeriosis products from our
shelves”.
Bartis called a meeting with
the local EFF on Friday to
discuss actions in Komani
st o r e s .
In the heated meeting, to
which The Rep was invited, EFF
chief whip Luthando Amos and
Bartis argued about the party’s
approach to the matter without
responsibility of ensuring
compliance with regulations.
“The institution, as obliged by
Act 61 of the National Health Act
of 2003 and accompanying
regulations, issued a seven-day
first speaking to business
owners.
Amos indicated that they
were assisting businesses to
remove products from Rainbow
and Enterprise. Business had
been instructed to do so by
Health Minister Aaron
Motsoaledi. Only processed
meats had been flagged.
“These businesses only want
to make money. They do not
care about their customers’
health. It is our duty to remove
the products so that people do
not get sick.”
Bartis said frozen and fresh
chicken was not part of the list
notice to the hawkers to
discourage this practice as it did
not comply with basic
requirements of the legislation.
“They acknowledged receipt of
the notice, but continued with
their act of defiance. The meat
had to be confiscated and was
stored in refrigerators.”
The meat was returned to the
Mutotobis the next day.
It was explained why the meat
had been confiscated, as it could
be contaminated.
“Prior [to] the notice, the CHDM
warned the hawkers of dangers
associated with their practices.
We conducted education and
awareness campaigns to prevent
them from selling meat under
of products to be removed and
the EFF needed to check their
facts first.
“Chicken was never part of
the list and if the EFF had
problems they should have
approached owners in a
civilised manner. Next time the
EFF has problems they should
first speak to me and I will
convey the message.”
Lukhanji SuperSPAR owner
Sandy Mills said what the EFF
had done was illegal and the
store had removed all the
products listed. “They
intimidated people by just
walking in and causing chaos.”
such conditions. We do this to
protect the community and to
curb exposure to diseases that are
rife in foods exposed to heat.”
She said people who wanted a
stand to sell as hawkers should
approach the local municipality
for permits.
The district municipality would
continue to conduct inspections
to ensure compliance.
Paul said they had started to
engage with a health inspector
last year when he told them it was
not right to sell meat on the
st reet.
“It was around May or June and
I called my boss. The health
inspector said they would
confiscate the meat and our boss
said the meat was healthy.”
He said the inspector said he
would come with a way on how
the brothers could get a work
permit. “I gave him my number.
He was going to call me, but up
to now I have been waiting.”
Mutotobi said he was surprised
that the health inspector had
brought police to confiscate the
meat. He said he was led to
believe that as they were only on
the site for a brief period of
between 20 and 30 minutes to
deliver meat to their customers,
they did not need a permit.
Police spokeswoman Captain
Namhla Mdleleni had not
commented at the time of going
to print.
GRIEVANCE: EFF members in Shoprite, removing Rainbow chicken
products from the store's fridges while customers and staff look on
IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS:
Lukhanji circuit principals came together to
celebrate the circuit as the best performing
circuit in cluster B with the trophy and
certificate awarded on February 28 in East
London. Cluster B includes the Nelson Mandela
Metro, Grahamstown and the Buffalo City
Metro. Lukhanji circuit head Mxolanisi Gongqa
said this meant that the circuit was probably
the top performing circuit for the 2017 national
senior certificate results in the province. ‘This
indeed is a huge milestone. I expressed my
heartfelt gratitude to the commanders of our
high schools in particular for this achievement
and I have requested them to convey that to the
educators. They are the ones who made not only
the circuit proud, but the entire Chris Hani West
dist rict.’
MUTTON WHOLE 1/2 - 1/4
BEEF CHUCK
SWEET CHILLY CHICKEN WORS
PORK TEXAN STEAKS
HONEY GLAZED PORK RASHERS
SPICEY CHICKEN WINGS
COASTAL VIEW MILK 1LT
SUPER WHITE SAMP 5KG
FROZEN CHIPS 1KG
R69.95 KG
R59.95 KG
R49.95 KG
R54.95 KG
R54.95 KG
R44.95 KG
R 9.95 EA
R28.95 EA
R 8.95 EA
E&OE-WHILE STOCKS LAST-LIMITED QUANTITIES WE RESERVE
THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW SPECIALS WITHOUT NOTICE
SPECIALS VALID FROM THE 15TH TO THE 16TH MARCH!!!!
Officers thwart
various thefts
LAST Wednesday morning Red Guard security
officers on duty at a hardware store apprehended
a suspect for theft from the shop, operations
manager Willie Reynecke told The Rep.
The stolen goods were recovered and returned
and the suspect handed over to the police.
On Thursday afternoon response officers
attended to a panic alarm at a tavern where they
apprehended a suspect who had stabbed a patron
with a knife. The suspect was handed over to the
police.
Response officers on Saturday afternoon
attended to a panic alarm at a filling station where
they found two patients who had escaped from
Komani Hospital. They were taken back to the
hospital and handed over to a nurse on duty.
That evening they were summoned by a panic
alarm to a supermarket where they apprehended a
suspect who had stolen goods from the store. The
suspect paid for the stolen items and was released
after the store manager declined to open a
criminal case.
Later that night the security officer on duty at a
scrap metal dealership noticed during his patrol
that the electric fence at the business had been
cut. He reported it and response officers were
dispatched to the premises. It was discovered that
the suspects had only cut the electric fence and
not the inner fence, and the alertness of the
security officer prevented the suspects from
entering the premises.
On Sunday afternoon a security officer was
posted at a store after an attempted break-in
which was prevented through the quick response
of response officers. The security officer noticed
that the suspects had returned to the premises
and he sounded an alarm. Response officers
apprehended six suspects who had not been able
to enter the store. They were released after the
owner declined to open a case.
PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS
INCREASE YOUR AWARENESS AND
ALERTNESS AGAINST POSSIBLE CRIME
IN PLACES OR AREAS WHERE YOU FEEL
UNCOMFORTABLE.
35 Ebden Street, Komani
Tel: 045 839 7228 | 044 010 0541 | Fax: 045 838 2430