Maroc - dailynews.co.za - News - Hier 14:15

Big businesses in Tshwane risk closure over food safety compliance

The City of Tshwane's crackdown on bylaw compliance has taken aim at large businesses, with Chicken Licken and Boxer Superstore in Atteridgeville township being the latest to face closure for contravening food safety regulations.The Chicken Licken outlet said it reopened later on Friday and is working on fixing the required documents to operate.Efforts to get hold of Boxer Superstore were unsuccessful as their phones rang unanswered.During the operation, Mayor Nasiphi Moya explained that businesses were shut down due to non-compliance with a critical regulation - operating without a Certificate of Acceptability.The certificate is essential for any business handling food, as it ensures they meet the minimum hygiene and food safety standards to protect public health. City of Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya, flanked by two municipal health inspectors, inside a Chicken Licken outlet in Atteridgeville during a bylaw enforcement operation.Mayor Moya revealed that Burger King was issued a fine for hygiene infractions, specifically for having flies present in the food preparation area.“The fast-food restaurant wasn’t shut down, but was issued with a fine for lack of pest control- too many flies inside the restaurant,” she said.Ernest Molope, a manager at the fast food outlet, said: “We actually have a meeting tomorrow (Monday) to see how we can address the issue, but also at the restaurant level we don’t really speak to journalists.”Moya said Boxer store has contravened three prior fine notices issued by the City’s by-law and health inspectors for operational compliance.“This shop has at least been issued with three fines where they were even given a final notice on things that need to be fixed and they haven’t. This started in September last year and we are in March and they have not complied. Secondly they don’t have a certificate of acceptability. As a shop that deals with food, that certificate is a requirement for them to be able to handle food,” she said.She expressed worries that big businesses are contravening bylaws.“We are closing them down and that comes with the conditions and timelines that they have to comply with. The moment they comply, we open them. Apologies to residents that are inconvenienced by this,” she said.