Bogus inspectors are on the loose, businesses warned

20 March 2017

 

The City of Johannesburg has urged members of the public to be on the lookout for people who pose as environmental health practitioners.

 

According to the City’s Environmental Health Department, these bogus environmental health practitioners go around communities in many parts of the city issuing fraudulent certificates of acceptability, business licences and permits to unsuspecting business owners for a fee.

A certificate of acceptability is issued to a businessperson who handles food, such as a restaurateur, or permits food to be handled.

Peter Manganye, the City’s Environmental Health Director, says the City issues these certificates free of charge.

“We have been receiving numerous complaints from members of the public, especially shop owners, that there are people who are posing as our officials and issuing certificates. People must come to our offices when they need a certificates of acceptability or any other permit or licence and we will gladly take them through the process of acquiring them,” says Manganye.

The only fees that businesspeople are supposed to pay in the issuance of the certificate or any other permit, Manganye says, are administrative costs approved by the City in line with its fees and tariffs structure.

Health permits are issued in accordance with public health by-laws.

Manganye says the City’s Environmental Health Practitioners are easily identifiable as they always carry official identification cards, which they are required to produce when they conduct inspections.