Mopani District Municipality has issued a second warning in less than two months about people impersonating Environmental Health Practitioners to solicit bribes from business owners. According to the Mopani District Municipality spokesperson, Witness Tiva, there are two men who are targeting business owners.
He said the duo who are driving a white VW Polo Vivo with a Gauteng registration number issue spot fines with the Department of Health letterheads to unsuspecting business owners.
“In instances where business owners are unable to pay they remove the foodstuffs from their shelves. We are urging business owners to always ask for the identification cards and letter of appointment from the Environmental Health Practitioners who are visiting their food handling premises before they can allow them in to conduct inspections,” said Tiva.
Tiva said two more cases have been reported in Julesburg and Nwamitwa areas. Last month two incidents were reported in the Greater Letaba municipal area, after two business operators were robbed of their money by these criminals.
Business owners can contact the Director for Community Services, Dumuisani Shithlangu on 082 571 2456 who will link them with relevant Environmental Health Practitioners who are designated to operate across the five local municipalities of the district.
