By OBAKENG MAJE

29 November 2024- The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng together with the Greater Taung Local Municipality mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe, led the Thuntsha Lerole Joint Business Compliance Inspection in the Taung Station CBD, Extensions 6 and 7 on Thursday.

The operation that started on Wednesday, inspected 27 tuck shops, retail stores and 16 liquor outlets. The inspection included businesses in the villages of Magogong, Diplankeng, Diphitsing, and Gamoduoana.

Morweng said the joint operation is one of the important activities of the Thuntsha- Lerole Accelerated Service Delivery Programme taking place bi-weekly to address service delivery issues with necessary interventions.

“These efforts aim to ensure that businesses comply with South Africa’s regulatory framework, such as the North West Business Licensing Act, National Liquor Act, Consumer Protection Act, North West Gambling Board Act, Foodstuffs, Cosmetics, and Disinfectants Act.

“This includes Immigration Act, National Environmental Management Act, and relevant municipal by-laws, focusing on safeguarding both business operations and consumers well-being,” he said.

Morweng further said this operation also serves as a proactive response to the country’s rising concerns over food safety, including recent nationwide reports of food-borne illnesses and fatalities. He added that these incidents, which allegedly involved contaminated snacks causing severe illness and even death among children, have heightened the urgency for stringent compliance measures.

“Today’s inspection uncovered several violations of laws regulating the business sector in the province. Demonstrating zero tolerance for non-compliance, the team confiscated and condemned goods valued at R15 000 and issued fines totalling R5000 to non-compliant businesses.

“The transgressions included the sale of expired and dented food items, unlabelled products, and repackaged foodstuffs. Other violations included operating in unhygienic premises lacking ventilation,” said Morweng.

He said what they have also realised is that some business owners sleep inside shops, keeping animals on business premises, absence of rodents and pest control. Morweng said there is also a failure to separate personal foodstuffs from groceries for sale, particularly those stored in refrigerators.

“Improvements were noted in compliance with business legislation among liquor outlets. Of the 16 liquor businesses inspected, only 2 were found to be non-compliant with the National Liquor Act.

“Similarly, progress was observed in the area of labour regulations, wherein the Department of Employment and Labour recorded only 2 cases of non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act 9 of 2018 among the 19 shops visited,” he said.

Morweng said the Department of Home Affairs in enforcing the Immigration Act No. 13 of 2002, inspected 11 shops and noted overall compliance. He said the North West Gambling Board on the other hand confiscated 1 illegal gambling machine from a local tuck shop in Magogong, and a fine of R1500 was issued. “These machines promote illegal gambling among minors, which is strictly prohibited for individuals under the age of 18. So, we urge communities to report suspicious non-compliant spaza shops and retail stores for proper assessment and investigation.

“We appeal to our communities to report spaza shops and retail stores that are not compliant. Reports can be made to the DEDECT, municipalities or South African Police Service (SAPS),” said Morweng.

He said as a government through Thuntsha Lerole and other programmes, they will conduct thorough investigations, make arrests where necessary, press charges in line with the law, or even shut down non-compliant businesses. Morweng said they are a government of the people, and it is their responsibility to protect the communities.

“One death is too many. We must act decisively to end the noncompliance within the business environment. We cannot wait for more lives to be lost before taking action.

“The government will continue to intensify business compliance inspections in collaboration with other regulators, ensuring zero tolerance for non-compliance in the business sector and safeguarding communities’ well-being,” he said.

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