Gauteng police confirmed that a joint operation between Crime Intelligence from Zamdela Sasolburg and SAPS Kliprivier yielded significant results in the fight against counterfeit goods.
This is during the time the country is battling food poisoning incidents that have resulted in minor children dying while some getting sick.
This week, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed that 23 learners have died due to food poisoning.
This is after children allegedly bought snacks from some foreign-owned spaza shops.
Police said during a raid at Eland Street, Daleside, authorities seized a large quantity of counterfeit Lucky Star pilchards and printing equipment used to alter expiration dates.
“Seven illegal immigrants aged between 18 and 29 were arrested. The owner of the establishment is at large,” said police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko.
According to reports, the illegal immigrants are from Malawi; they are believed to be suspected victims of human trafficking. That remains the subject of investigation by the police.
Sibeko said police opened a case of Contravention of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972), Section 17(c), possession of suspected stolen properties and Contravention of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002.
Sibeko confirmed that the arrested suspects will appear before the court soon.
Ordinary South Africans took to social media platforms, X expressing their views on the bust.
“I think it’s very important that we determine how the expired food ended up in their hands. The companies are selling these expired products at cheap prices to the shops owners and how the Woolies boxes end up with them. A broader investigation should be made,” said X user Black Consciousness.
Another user, Thabo Letlhabile wrote: “This is only done by ANC sponsors to kill us, but I wonder who is going to vote for them when we are all killed by this food poisoning thing”.
According to sources, the goods were destined to one of the biggest supermarkets, known to The Star, however the shopping giant has not commented on the matter.
According to the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report; the government of South Africa does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.
“The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; therefore South Africa was upgraded to Tier 2. These efforts included increasing prosecutions of traffickers; identifying and referring more trafficking victims to protection services; and increasing the number of shelters available to assist trafficking victims. Government officials increased screening for trafficking indicators among vulnerable populations and enhanced cooperation with civil society organisations on the identification of victims,” said the report.
The report further said “The government added three additional agencies to its National Inter-ministerial Committee for Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP) to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. Agencies responsible for identifying, referring, and certifying trafficking victims lacked coordination, and knowledge gaps in understanding human trafficking and referral SOPs likely hindered overall protection efforts”. The report said victim services remained insufficient and delays in granting victims official status resulted in some victims being unable to access timely emergency shelter and services.
“Law enforcement continued to lack the necessary capacity and training to effectively identify and refer trafficking victims to care. Reports of low-level official corruption and complicity in trafficking crimes persisted, hindering overall anti-trafficking efforts. Government regulations to operationalize the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons (PACOTIP) Act’s immigration provisions awaited final adoption and were not yet in effect at the end of the reporting period,” said the report.
The Star