According to council documents, 285 fines valued at R1.2m were issued to food-supplying establishments in the last quarter of 2023. The fines were for food found stored on floors, unsound food and pest control challenges.
According to Motsamai, their inspectors discover unhygienic working spaces at establishments, inadequate infrastructure and poisonous droppings, with some not having rezoning certificates.
Th3situation is similar in Ekurhuleni, where only 94 inspectors are available to the population of 4.2-million, with a ratio of one inspector to every 44,680 people.
According to the director of environmental health in Ekurhuleni, Dr Jerry Chaka, the city is supposed to have 420 inspectors but numbers have dropped from 102 early last year to 94.
“The city is looking into this to improve the situation because we are facing financial constraints,” said Chaka.
In Johannesburg, there are 221 inspectors with a single inspector servicing 27,000 people.
Environmental health director Peter Manganye said they lost six inspectors last year.
Motsamai said nobody is allowed to handle food without a certificate of acceptability.
“That’s the first offence we often encounter,” said Motsamai.
Spaza shops without proper certification are in direct violation of food safety regulations, but this is only one of many concerns.
“In spaza shops, you often find rats, flies or other vectors that can spread disease,” Motsamai said.
Hygiene and housekeeping are also critical concerns.