Rats ‘occupy’ Chipiku, shop risks closure
Chipiku Plus Stores at Ginnery Corner in Blantyre risks being closed over rat invasion and poor sanitation and hygiene.
The shop is infested with rodents and the owners have been using poison and cats to get rid of the rants, an act which may result in food contamination thereby putting lives of consumers at risk.
And Blantyre City Council (BCC) has issued out a Statutory Notice warning the shop owners to rectify the situation or face closure within seven days.
According to the notice which Nyasa Times has seen, BCC has warned the shop owners of contravening the Public Health and the Council’s By-Laws for, among others, failing to institute proper pest control measures and failing to maintain high sanitation and hygiene standards.
The shop has also been accused of failing to provide lockers to its staff in the changing rooms, providing rat poison in the shop thereby causing risk of food contamination and for keeping live animals (cats)
in the food store.
Reads the Statutory Notice in part: ”You are to satifactorily rectify the contraventions of the legislation as stated above within seven days (7) working days upon receipt of this letter.”
According to the Notice, Chipiku Plus Shop has been ordered to install self closing door to all access to the bulk store, institute proper packing and shelving of goods in the bulk store and engage professional pest control to de rat and rat proof the premises.
”No live animal should be seen in the food store, provide proper change room for your staff, institute good house keeping procedures in and around the premises. Clean up the place to remove rat droppings, odour and markings and redecorate the premises,” orders the Notice.
BCC has since warned that it will close the shop and take legal action if the owners are not seriousness to address the situation.
The Chipiku Plus shop owners declined to be interviewed, however, they told BCC inspection team that they were not aware that keeping cats or using rat poison in food shops was illegal.
Meanwhile, the Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) has also condemned the shop owners of failing to adhere to set standards of shop management, sanitation and hygiene.
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Happy customer I did not comment about the rat on the photo whether it was put there as a photo op or not. I am talking about what i saw…a rat in their shop. Whether that one on the photo was placed or not i don’t know. But I’ve seen rats in Chipiku not hearsay. And I’ve returned rotten goods several times. If I’ve seen the rats surely they too have seen them their comment to me is lame.They should address the problem in a manner that’s not a health hazard FULL STOP! And…Good for you that the mediocre services… Read more »
@concerned customer
Please be serious, read what management said. They didn’t say anything about rat poison or cats, that’s what the article said. I don’t want to jump to conclusions but why would a rat be sitting there, waiting for someone to take a photo?
Someone is trying to frame these guys, as far as I’m concerned chipiku is the cleanest shop in town, much much better than shoprite and especially better than people’s!
People need to be more serious, think for yourself. This is nonsense.
@Chipiku management It is very unfortunate that you are attacking the kind of journalism instead of either keeping quiet and address the problem or argue on the basis of the accusation herein. It is a fact that there are rats in your shop. I saw this a few weeks ago as i was grocery shopping and gasped..another customer saw it and also my reaction and shook his head. To be honest it is not a lie that there is this problem that you have to sort out. Next is the issue that keeping cats and using rat poison is not… Read more »
this is for immediate suspension of sales…..
Deport them makamaka operation mananger wa southern religion sajan siraj ndi mbuli sadziwa chilichonse komaso pa salary yake sapeleka msonkho ndikanakhala ndi futi ndi kanamuombela
Paja amwenye nde akunjoya mdziko muno no wonder mma prison athu mulibe mwenye olo mmodzi. Shop imeneyi akanakhala ndi ya mMalawi, kalekale itatsekedwa.
very unfortunate
BCC YOU ARE TOO WEAK. YOU MEAN WITH SUCH VIOLATIONS YOU CAN ALLOW A SHOP TO OPERATE WITH LIVE CATS, RAT POISON MIXED WITH HUMAN FOOD? SO WHEN WOULD YOU CLOSE A SHOP? MALAWIAN LET US BE SERIOUS WITH PEOPLES LIVES OF PEOPLE MWADYA ZAM’MANJA?
If the description of the health related problems is right, then BCC should have just closed down the place right away. Until the corrective measures are put in place, and the problems are gone. Keeping the place open, meanwhile, is stupid and only endangers the shopping public. Unacceptable!
What health officer at BCC would make this kind of decision, opanda kudyesedwa mabanzi (without being corrupted)?
Unbelievable!
Chipiku kuli amwenye amwanao, makamaka Operations Manager wa Central Region Shaikh Ahmed, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!
Amenewa ndi ma china uve too much muzipitatu musamale