“Our Kids Are Eating This!”: Officials Clamp Down on Joburg Eatery Using Blackened Oil in Viral Clip

• A video is making the rounds of a Johannesburg restaurant that was shut following an inspection by officials
• The @MDNnewss X page posted showing Public Safety MMC Mgcina Tshwaku leading a visit to the business
• Numerous health and safety violations were noted during the inspection visit before Tshwaku instructed the eatery to be shut

JOHANNESBURG — Amid a crackdown on spaza shops and other food businesses, authorities acted decisively to clamp down on a restaurant whose practices were heavily frowned upon.

Though unknown which restaurant was being called to order, a clip posted to X unmasked its dangerous, unsavoury, and unhealthy practices.

Officials clamp down on Joburg eatery

The 80-second video @MDNnewss shared shows Mgcini Tshakwu, the City of Johannesburg's (CoJ) Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety, leading an inspection of the establishment.

He is seen, along with Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers, in the kitchen as officials conduct a health and safety check.

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During this time, it became evident that the business breached multiple vital food-handling guidelines.

Disastrously, Tshwaku, who appears in safety inspection gear, points to blackened oil where potato chips are frying while others are being prepared.

"So, you change this thing after one month? They change this oil after one month! And our kids are eating these things?" he is heard saying.

Another official notes the imminent danger the establishment poses to the workers and customers in the event of a catastrophe.

"Now, should, God forbid, there be a fire, here is the main [power] supply here. There's no fire extinguisher. The [electricity box] isn't even covered."

Afterwards, Tshwaku instructs one of the workers to stop frying because they are closing the establishment.

At the same time, the officials exclaim in surprise at the woman's lack of personal protective equipment as she removes a large fry basket from the dark frying oil with her bare hands.

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The video attracted over 660,000 views since it was posted on Tuesday.

Dog food stuffed into wors

In other stomach-churning news, Briefly News reported a shocking practice of a meat processing business in Emfuleni, Khayelitsha, in Cape Town, allegedly incorporating dog food into its meat products in videos uncovered online.

This is as a wave of food poisoning incidents batters South Africa amid a response from the government to address the outbreak.

Source: Briefly News