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April 4, 2013 >> PAGE 18
Ms Phillipine Meso
Business: Mini Gym What do you enjoy most about your work? >> The fact that I am building self confidence in children and building their self esteem as childhood obesity causes numerous problems What do you think are the greatest challenges currently in Limpopo/Polokwane? >> Because everyone is living a fast life there is basically no time for family and relaxation How do you keep up with business in a slow or struggling economy? >> I improve my strategies to increase sales during a slow or struggling economy and make changes that make business sense
Polokwane attorney on labelling of food products RC MYBURGH >>rc.observer@gmail.com
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n the wake of shockwaves rippling through consumer ranks following the recent international horse meat scandal where horse meat was found in consumer foods in the Swiss and United Kingdom markets and closer to home undeclared donkey, goat and water buffalo meat in South African products, meat eaters can rest assured that the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) provides regulatory protection to consumers against unsafe and dangerous products. According to Mr Benno de Klerk from Davel, de Klerk, Kgatla Attorneys the scandal opened was a wake-up call for many consumers to pay more attention to the content of food products by reading the labels. “Additionally, consumers have become more concerned about what remedies are available to them should they purchase products that contain unsafe content or content which has not been fully disclosed. Fortunately, our law provides remedies which a consumer can exercise should he find his burger tastes more of horse than beef,” De Klerk said. In general the consumption of horse meat is not illegal, provided the slaughter, import and export of such horsemeat is in compliance
with the Meat Safety Act, 2000. “This however does not imply that having horsemeat in your beef burger is acceptable and if such a burger does contain horsemeat, this must be disclosed to the consumer to ensure that you are aware of the content of the food product you are about to purchase,” De Klerk said. Policy regulating the labelling of foodstuffs requires such goods to properly display content, ingredients, nutritional information, additives, use by dates etc. The purpose of such labelling is, among others, to inform the consumer of the exact content of the product and allow the purchaser the ability to make an informed decision regarding the product. Should the label be incorrect, false or misleading the guilty manufacturer can receive a fine or even be imprisoned. “The CPA contains provisions regarding the proper labelling and description of products and additionally provides for strict liability across the supply chain, allowing a consumer who suffered damages due to a defect or danger in a product or in the provision of an unsafe product, to sue any person or entity in the supply chain without having to prove negligence on the part of the person or entity,” De Klerk noted. He further said that it implies that if a consumer purchases a food product that is
Nino’s – serving the best MARIËTTE SNYDER >> mariette.observer@gmail.com Driven by the passion of serving mouthwatering food and expertly brewed coffee yet maintaining a homely and professional feel, Nino’s in Mall of the North is taking to the hearts of many of its loyal and newly customers. The smell of fresh, creamy coffee brewed from the coffee beans grown in African soil, invites you into one of the best Italian restaurants in town. The food, prepared and presented with love, offers you a variety that will surprise your taste buds. Healthier options are available if you are watching your diet. Their menu is out of this world and their service is the best. They offer scrumptious gourmet open sandwiches, baguettes served on a bed of fresh crisp lettuce and tomato, mouth-watering tramezzinis, wraps, tasty burgers, pizzas and their pastas will have you begging for more. Complementary to their new cocktail bar are the finger foods, wines from their in-house wine selection and super affordable beers and ciders. Round up your day with the Nino’s dinner menu that includes grills, poultry, sea food and steaks. These dishes are served with fries, mash or pap and can be enjoyed with extra grilled vegetables or salad. Make your way to Nino’s, shop 28 on
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the upper level of Mall of the North and enjoy the best service from their friendly waiters and management. Nino’s also caters for functions and holds theme cocktail parties monthly. For more information visit them on their Facebook page, send an email at ninospolokwane@gmail.com or contact them on 015 265 1065. Nino’s is one of the proud sponsors of the Mall of the North Matric Farewell Competition that offer matric couples the opportunity to stand out in a crowd. Other sponsors involved are main sponsors Mall of the North, famous fashion designer Mr Nico Willoughby-Smith and Polokwane Observer as sole media sponsor, Nadia Klopper Photography, a local dental practice, Peugeot, Jama Ballroom Dance Studio, Body Life Health and Fitness Club, Art of Hair, Sorbet, Solo, Michelangelo Jewellers and Vision Works. Willoughby-Smith will custom design and create a matric farewell gown and shirt for the winners that will be announced on 31 May at Nino’s Mall of the North. The closing date for the competition is Friday, 24 May. The prizes include all trials and fittings leading to the farewell. The prizes cannot be exchanged for cash and cannot be used by anyone other than the winning couple. For more information contact Willoughby-Smith on 083 678 2826.
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Zu-Helen’s Cleaning and Gardening Services offers a complete range of cleaning services for all business sectors and environments. Keeping our service one step above the rest, we now also offer gardening services. We boast an honest, dependable team that has many years of
>> Should the label be incorrect, false or misleading the guilty manufacturer can receive a fine or even imprisonment >> Labelling is important to inform consumers
defective, unsafe or dangerous, he can sue the manufacturer, retailer or supplier and need only prove that the food product was dangerous or defective and that he suffered damages as a consequence thereof. “This does not mean that horsemeat is automatically unsafe or dangerous, but rather places an obligation on the manufacturer to properly disclose and protects the consumer by applying strict liability in the event that the horsemeat is proven to have made the product unsafe or dangerous,” he stressed. The CPA further provides for the lodging of complaints against suppliers and provides substantial remedies to the various bodies authorised to investigate complaints lodged by consumers. The CPA also caters for hefty fines and even imprisonment against offending suppliers. De Klerk concluded by saying a consumer needs never feel short changed if his hamburger is not what it seems. “As a consumer you have a right to know what you are consuming and consumers should enforce this right through paying greater attention to product labels and understanding the content of their nutrition as well as taking the offending manufacturer or supplier to task to correct the situation and even pay for damages which may have arisen from the use of the product.”
Department of Labour snubs taxi association HERBERT RACHUENE >>herbert@mailbox.co.za Members of the Seshego Polokwane Taxi Association feel affronted by the Department of Labour (DoL) overlooking them when invitations were issued to a briefing session regarding the minimum wage increment in the taxi industry held in Polokwane recently. In mid-February the department embarked on public briefings with taxi industry role players about the minimum wage increment. The current minimum wage in the sector will expire on 30 June 2013 and the engagements are aimed at soliciting input from employers and employees about the new minimum wage dispensation for the sector, to determine mechanisms to be utilised for the annual increase and to also look at any other conditions to the operations within the sector. The current minimum wage puts a taxi driver at R2 449,90 per month, an administrative worker at R2 449,90, a rank marshal at R1 959,40 and anyone not specified earns R1 713,70 per month. Deputy Chairperson of the Association, Mr Gab Chuene said they were never invited to the public hearings. “We only hear those things from the media. They don’t consult us on anything. They want our input but they don’t consult us,” Chuene said. In response DoL Spokesperson Johannes Mokou said they invited all taxi operators in and around Polokwane to their briefing sessions on Tuesday. “Of course not all of them will come to our meetings. I am surprised to hear that some of the taxi operators claim that they were not invited. However, we will continue discussing the new minimum wage with them, because it involves them.”
Polokwane Observer, in support of local independent businesses, hosts a weekly SMS competition. To find out how the competition can benefit your business, call Tracy on 079 181 6910.
cleaning and gardening experience and each person is an expert at their particular responsibility. Whether you need to have the stove’s drip pans cleaned, want your carpet, mattress or lounge suite deep cleaned or just need a basic spring cleaning done, first call us! Phone Helen Ferns on
zu-helen’s
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