Maile disappointed after finding expired food during inspections of Soweto supermarkets

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Finance and Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile said that he was disappointed with the results of inspections at some supermarkets in Soweto.

Officials visited three mainstream supermarket stores in the township on Monday.

The inspections are part of President Cyril Ramaphosa's directive for store owners to register their businesses and to regulate spaza shops.

A storeroom in one of the supermarket's in Moroka where food items are kept before being placed on the shelves had several rats present.

A few other stores were flagged for having expired food and items without labels.

Gauteng Finance and Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile confirmed that these were all violations of various regulations.

"We are disappointed because we expected that the shops will hold high standards, that that will be hygienic and that we will not find expired goods. We have found expired goods in both shops and those expired goods have been taken off the shelves."

Officials issued the management of the various stores with contravention notices.