Officers from Brackendowns SAPS Vispol, the second-hand goods officer, sector managers and social crime prevention officers joined hands with the Brackendowns SAPS and municipal Environmental Health department to visit spaza shops in Thinasonke informal settlement.

The operation was conducted at the request of the Thinasonke Community Forum.

Law enforcement officials received information that some of the shops were not registered and that said shop managers are selling expired goods.

The team conducted compliance inspections at six of these spaza shops in Thinasonke and they were all found to be in contravention of the health by-laws and not registered.

The health inspector joining the operation gave fines and notices to the six inspected shops as well as confiscating all the expired goods.

The inspector explained the by-laws governing them to the store owners to make them aware of what they need to do in order to operate as a legal business.