WARD 64 recently held two major compliance and enforcement operations in an attempt to increase the safety of consumers’ rights.

Also read: Operation Good Hope brings much needed service delivery relief

The operations follow the National Consumer Commission (NCC) raids throughout KZN, where there was extensive non-compliance. The raids found the majority of goods to be non-compliant, including expired food, poor labelling, foreign-language receipts and failure to price, all in breach of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).

From September 1 to 5, Operation Good Hope witnessed different departments coming together for inspection and service delivery in the Ward. Irene Chetty of South Durban Area-Based Management (SDB-ABM) said that the operation included everything from compliance to repairs on infrastructure.

“Seven inspections were conducted by the fire department and 35 were conducted by environmental health, where they issued three orders and shut down one outlet. Metro Police inspected nine motor vehicles, issuing one unlicensed and another with smooth tyres with compliance notices. The electricity Department repaired 86 faulty streetlights in the week, and the water teams repaired 12 leaks, faulty valves and faulty meters,” she said.

Chetty was impressed with the collaboration and commitment of all departments concerned. “Operations like these intensify services in the Ward and warn business and residents alike that compliance is essential. I am impressed with the success of the programme and my appreciation goes out to all departments for their effort,” she added.

Operating in conjunction with this was an environmental health enforcement campaign, focusing on food safety and cleanliness. Yolande Botha of the environmental health department said the operation included business licensing, the fire services, building inspectors, Montclair police station, Metro Police and SDB-ABM.

Botha said that during their programme they visited 25 food premises, where three prosecutions were made. “Notices were served for a number of non-compliance issues, while we also used the time to talk to businesses about corrective action they can follow to become compliant,” said Botha.

The enforcement programme aimed to better inform the public about their ongoing efforts to ensure food safety in the community.

The NCC’s acting commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu said, “Failure to label the goods or labelling goods in a foreign language deprives consumers of their right to information, thus making it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions. We remind suppliers to comply with the CPA, as compliance with the Act is not an option but an obligation.”

The operation served as a stark reminder of the importance of collaboration between Ward initiatives and provincial interventions to protect consumers and their rights.

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