Chipiku escape closure: Gets rid of rats, cats
Chipiku Plus Stores at Ginnery Corner in Blantyre has escaped a legal action and a closure over rat invasion and poor sanitation and hygiene after meeting Blantyre City Council (BCC) recommendations.
The shop was infested with rodents and the owners were using poison and cats to get rid of the rats, an act which might have resulted in food contamination thereby putting lives of consumers at risk.
BCC last month issued out a Statutory Notice warning the shop owners to rectify the situation or face closure and legal action within seven days.
And in an interview, BCC Public Relations Manager, Athony Kasunda said the shop won’t be closed after meeting the Council’s orders.
”Our officers inspected the shop last week and they found out that they (owners) have managed to rectify the situation,” said Kasunda.
BCC had 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 was also 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.
Chipiku Plus Shop was 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.
”The most prominent thing was for them to meet the set health and hygiene standards by getting rid of the rats, cats and the poison; and that has been met,” added Kasunda.
If BCC is serious with health issues, how come you allow Frederick Changaya to build so many houses within his so called Changaya Hostels compound in Nkolokosa. The place is too small for all those houses. And he has university students sharing the accommodation with families inside the compound, isn’t that recipe for conflict? But my biggest worry is too many houses within a small compound. I know the planners at BCC anadya kale paja corruption is their second career. Please go and stop that madness
FREE ADVICE. USE INDOCID TO KILL THESE RATS AND NOT POISON.
Inspect the expiry dates too.
LCC should inspect shops in Lilongwe as well including Sanaa at Pacific Mall in Lilongwe.
I wonder if the Mayor for Lilongwe City ever cares about this. Pokha paja Capital City inabetsa u mayor
He he.koma kumeneko
Dirty store. Won’t go again.
This may not be an isolated case….could the BCC please carry out more inspections into all business premises where foodstaffs are sold.
Ma rubbish business bringing insecurity in Malawi. Let this safety and health standard be applied to all shops and supermarkets selling food to the public. I am saying let this standard apply to Game, Shoprite, Sanaa, People’s and all those small kantembas in Ndirande, Kawale, Luwinga, Mpondabwino, Chibanja, and many other places. One country, one standard, one regulation, one law for all. No favors.
No issue here. Rats everywhere around town or even in our houses