Durban — A special meeting has been scheduled for Friday to address draft by-laws and foodborne illnesses in KwaZulu-Natal.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi convened the meeting with mayors, municipal managers and municipal corporate services directors.
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli is expected to address the meeting where he will present the province’s approach to addressing the draft municipal by-laws gazetted by the national government. These by-laws aim to boost township economies by creating a supportive environment for small businesses, focusing on economic inclusion, job creation, and empowering local communities.
The meeting will also outline the measures being implemented by the provincial government to tackle the rise in foodborne illnesses, which have resulted in children being hospitalised, with some dying.
On Thursday, during a media briefing where Ntuli spoke on key provincial developments, he said: “We were very saddened to receive a report concerning an unfortunate incident involving suspected food poisoning in the Cambana area in uMzumbe under Ugu District where three children died and their grandmother hospitalised.”
The three victims are children aged 2, 6 and 11 years old.
He said that although postmortem results are pending, it is alleged that the victims fell ill and died because of food poisoning. It is reported that even the family dog had eaten the same food and died. the family had been living by collecting waste for recycling.
“Our message is clear, we will not allow illegal operations and spaza shops to jeopardise the lives of the people of KZN. Working together with SAPS Provincial Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and the Border Management Agency, the provincial government will continue to conduct unannounced operations against illegal foreigners operating spaza shops to check the quality of the goods they sell,” Ntuli said.
He also said municipalities are expected to adopt the by-laws gazetted by Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to regulate the operation of the spaza shops in the country.
“We will further engage municipalities to collaborate with the KwaZulu-Natal government in an effort to get back spaza shops owned by undocumented foreign nationals to the people of KwaZulu-Natal and engage in the way of supporting local spaza shops owned by our people,” Ntuli added.
Meanwhile, Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality mayor Mduduzi Myeza conducted a business raid on Wednesday.
The raids are part of a campaign that was announced by Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) MEC Reverend Musa Zondi.
The operation was led by Myeza and included the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Unit, Edtea, Department of Labour, South African Police Service (SAPS), Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality Fire and Rescue Department, Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality LED Unit, ILM Planning and Development Unit and Uthukela District Municipality Health Services.
Myeza said the campaign would focus on combating violation of consumer rights by conducting unannounced visits to businesses that sell expired food products, counterfeit goods and operate in unhygienic environments.
Myeza said most of the local retailers they visited, their products do not have any form of branding on them, and they sell snacks and other items that are self-packaged, which no one knows what could possibly be inside and when such products expire. This is against the South African Bureau of Standards.
Myeza alongside joint stakeholders visited SaveMore Supermarket, on Alexander Street, Jabula Store, RnR Sweets and Snacks, Koya’s Fruit and Veggies and many others.
In one shop, firearms and live ammunition rounds were discovered and the SAPS recorded this accordingly and took over the matter.
Myeza said at least seven undocumented foreign shop workers were arrested by the Home Affairs Immigration Unit, and all these shops were shut down pending compliance for businesses to meet municipal regulations. Fines were issued to all the local shops visited for non-compliance, licence revocation as most shop owners were repeat offenders.
He said that on hygiene and safety standards, Edtea issued fines for businesses that did not comply with ensuring a clean and safe environment for storing and selling food products. There were no visible proper waste disposal and recycling systems used. The confiscated goods are to be destroyed.
To assist local entrepreneurs, Myeza said they are inviting local entrepreneurs to apply for municipal employment initiative funding capped at R5 000 for individuals and R30 000 for small, medium and micro enterprises.
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