Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE – Rising temperatures and lax hygiene enforcement have sparked urgent warnings from Bulawayo city councillors, who fear a surge in foodborne diseases this summer due to unsafe street food sales and counterfeit imports.
The alarm was raised during a recent full council meeting, where Proportional Representation Councillor Agnes Munsaka condemned the common sight of perishables like meat and beans sold in open-air, unhygienic conditions outside shops, often attracting insects.
“Since summer is quickly approaching, food items like meat and beans should not be offered outside,” Cllr Munsaka stated emphatically.
“This practice is a growing threat to public health.”
Her concerns were strongly echoed by Ward 14 Councillor Dumisani Netha, who questioned the commitment of the council’s health committee to curbing the sale of unsafe products. Netha also highlighted the worrying influx of counterfeit South African goods into local markets.
“I ask the committee to explain to us how far they have gone in preventing such goods from coming in,” Cllr Netha demanded, adding that crucial council resolutions on these issues appeared to be “going unimplemented.”
Responding to the criticism, Ward 28 Councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo, defending the health committee’s efforts, pointed to significant resource constraints.
She revealed that 963 inspections had been conducted this year, resulting in fines and tickets for offenders.
However, she conceded the penalties were often too small to act as a real deterrent against littering, dumping, or poor hygiene practices.
“Fines are gazetted and cannot be changed at any point, which is why they appear small,” Cllr Khumalo explained.
“In some cases, we work with the Environmental Management Agency because their fines are higher.”
Khumalo detailed joint enforcement operations with other agencies and government, including targeted actions against street vendors along 5th and 6th Avenues. On the contentious issue of imported counterfeit goods, however, Khumalo clarified the committee’s limited powers.
“As a committee we have no means of addressing the issue of foodstuffs coming into the country. We can only deal with products already in supermarkets, where fines have been issued,” she stated.
With summer heat accelerating food spoilage, the gap between councillors’ health fears and the enforcement reality leaves Bulawayo residents facing heightened risks from contaminated street food and potentially dangerous counterfeit products.
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