Police in KwaZulu-Natal have uncovered a large-scale operation involving expired and counterfeit goods stored at a warehouse in Bluff, Durban.
Story Summary:
- Police in KwaZulu-Natal raided a Bluff warehouse storing expired food, drinks, antibiotics, counterfeit goods, and hazardous chemicals.
- The discovery adds to concerns following mass food poisoning incidents and a government crackdown on non-compliant spaza shops.
- Related tensions persist, including a spaza shop owner arrested for allegedly killing a teenager in Boksburg.
KZN police converge on spaza warehouse: Here’s what they found
The raid, led by Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, exposed expired food items, drinks, and antibiotics, alongside counterfeit clothing and dangerous chemicals such as pesticides.
During their inspection, authorities found food and medical supplies that were not certified by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
Some of the goods were rotten or lacked expiry dates, raising serious public health concerns.
Police also discovered hazardous chemicals stored next to consumables, including the pesticide “Sniper,” a systemic termite control insecticide that contains the active ingredient fipronil 5%.
Fipronil, if consumed by humans, can trigger severe headaches, tonic-clonic convulsions, seizures, paresthesia, pneumonia, and death, according to Science Direct.
Premier Ntuli expressed his alarm at the findings, stating:
“It’s disturbing to discover that such a huge warehouse is keeping expired goods. Even antibiotics and dangerous pesticides are stored here, right next to food items.”
Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi added that the items were being prepared for distribution to other storage facilities and eventually to spaza shops.
Spaza shops and food safety under scrutiny
This discovery comes amid heightened scrutiny of spaza shops across South Africa following widespread public outrage over expired and unsafe food being sold to communities.
The outrage was ignited after a series of mass food poisoning incidents, including one in Soweto’s Naledi township, where six children died in September after consuming snacks laced with Terbufos, a toxic pesticide.
In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a 21-day directive requiring spaza shop owners to register their businesses and comply with food safety standards or face closure.
This initiative, although necessary, has inflamed tensions in communities already critical of foreign-owned spaza shops.
In a related incident, a Somali shop owner was reportedly arrested in Boksburg earlier this week for allegedly shooting and killing a teenager.
The suspect, reportedly assaulted by community members before being placed under police guard, has intensified the debate around the role and regulation of foreign-owned shops.
Authorities in KwaZulu-Natal are continuing their investigation into the Bluff warehouse and have vowed to take strict action against the illegal distribution chain.
Meanwhile, national campaigns targeting compliance and public health in the informal retail sector are likely to expand.
