Durban - Durban’s Deputy Mayor Zandile Myeni led a business compliance blitz in the South Beach and Mahatma Gandhi Road vicinity on Friday.
The municipality said in a statement that the blitz saw multi stakeholder teams inspecting both formal and informal traders to ensure they are adhering to safety and health regulations.
According to the municipality, the blitz involves various City departments, including the Metro Police, Fire Department, Business Licensing, and the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit.
The deputy mayor was accompanied by Whip of the Community Safety Committee, Sibusiso Mpanza, Metro Police Commissioner Sibonelo Mchunu, Metro Police officers and the eThekwini Health and the Business Support Unit.
Food outlets, spaza shops, and liquor stores were visited.
Myeni said the blitz inspected compliance with business regulations and policies.
“It was appalling to find several business owners selling expired food items,” she said.
She said this operation was extremely important to enforce City by-laws.
“It (the operation) was also highly successful. The commitment displayed by our stakeholder units is evidence of the City’s efforts to hold businesses accountable for their operations,” said Myeni.
The municipality said of the businesses inspected, the following contraventions were discovered:
- Expired food items;
- Illegal manufacturing of SIM cards;
- Unconducive working environments;
- Two arrests for failure to produce citizen documentation;
- A fake business and liquor licence;
- Two outlets were successfully closed due to non-compliance.
Meanwhile, the municipality said the Health Unit conducted a week-long operation in Inanda to ensure businesses comply with health and safety regulations.
“A livestock selling business situated in the Mtshebheni area of Inanda was fined following the discovery of unauthorised slaughtering of animals for human consumption at an unapproved premises.”
