Durban – Msunduzi Municipality has issued fines to a number of businesses in Northdale for a variety of by-law offences including selling expired food.
Last week, municipal officials conducted an inspection in the area and visited about 70 businesses and issued fines totalling more than R50 000.
“Today (last Thursday) we visited businesses on Dr Chota Motala, Sirkhod Road and Village Mall in Northdale to continue with the blitz exercise to investigate if businesses were in compliance with the municipal by laws,” the municipality said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
It said it was discovered that some traders are trading with fake business licences and they were fined on-site and also had the “licences” confiscated.
“It was also discovered that businesses are selling expired goods which resulted in fines being issued and the confiscation of the expired goods sold on site before the businesses were barred from operating and trading goods.
“The municipality is taking legal action against businesses failing to comply with the by-laws.
“Businesses are urged to check dates on products and sell food that are safe for public consumption,” it said.
City residents urged the city to look at businesses trading in all areas.
Commenting on Facebook, one resident said: “They’ve been through town, to the northern suburbs, let’s see them do that in Edendale the upper part of Edendale and other areas.”
Another resident was happy that a blitz operation was being carried out.
“Very good for visiting these places. Some business owners don’t even know what is customer service and the selling of rotten food and changing of expired dates must come to an end.”