Investigators found shops in downtown Harare selling expired baby formula, groceries, and personal care items. Many small stores along Julius Nyerere Way and Mbuya Nehanda Street ignore safety rules. Products past their sell-by dates sit on dusty shelves at lower prices for customers who rarely check labels. A store on Chinhoyi Street openly sold an infant formula that expired last December. Mother Tendai Moyo discovered she bought expired cereal for her child after shopping at these stores.
The government plans to stop these practices through strict enforcement. Officials warn shop owners they face fines, closure, or jail time for selling expired goods. Industry Secretary Thomas Utete Wushe said a special team includes police, tax officials, and medicine authorities working together. They have already prosecuted 84 businesses and made them pay fines for violations. The city health department destroyed confiscated items at Geo Pomona recently.
Consumer Council inspectors checked over 50 shops during a recent operation downtown. Nearly one-third stocked expired products during these checks. Some traders changed expiry dates by scratching out old ones or printing fake labels. Officials blame weak border controls that let expired products enter the country through unofficial routes. Authorities ask shoppers to check dates carefully before buying anything from these stores.
The government plans to stop these practices through strict enforcement. Officials warn shop owners they face fines, closure, or jail time for selling expired goods. Industry Secretary Thomas Utete Wushe said a special team includes police, tax officials, and medicine authorities working together. They have already prosecuted 84 businesses and made them pay fines for violations. The city health department destroyed confiscated items at Geo Pomona recently.
Consumer Council inspectors checked over 50 shops during a recent operation downtown. Nearly one-third stocked expired products during these checks. Some traders changed expiry dates by scratching out old ones or printing fake labels. Officials blame weak border controls that let expired products enter the country through unofficial routes. Authorities ask shoppers to check dates carefully before buying anything from these stores.
