A Mpumalanga farmer accused of repackaging and selling expired food has been granted bail amounting to R8 000.
Pieter Johannes Grobler (30) spent a night behind bars before appearing in the Secunda magistrate’s court on Thursday.
He was arrested on Wednesday after law enforcement officials raided his farm in Charl Cilliers.
The arrest took place in Charl Cilliers, formerly Van Tondershoek, an old Voortrekker settlement near Standerton.
A concerned whistleblower exposed the rot, bringing the secret operation to light.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Magonseni Nkosi confirmed the arrest and the conditions of his release.
“Members received information from a reliable source about the health hazard activities on the farm. Members activated role players from the SAPS [SA Police Service] and Govan Mbeki local municipality health inspectors,” said Nkosi.
Operation conducted from two warehouses
Authorities raided the farm and uncovered a shocking operation inside two warehouses.
Four cold rooms stored expired canned products, rotten red meat, chicken, and dairy items.
Officers found seven freezers containing repackaged wheat, flour, and maize meal.
More than 1 000 crates stored expired dairy products, including cheese.
During the raid, two delivery trucks, a truck equipped with a cold room, and repackaging supplies were also seized.
Grobler was charged under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics, and Disinfectants Act.
The court granted bail with strict conditions to ensure that he remains under supervision.
He must report to Charl Cilliers SAPS every Monday between 8am and 6pm.
The court also ordered him to surrender his travel documents until further notice.
His case has been postponed to March 27 for further investigations.
Investigators are now working to trace where the repackaged food was sold. The Hawks have not ruled out further arrests as the probe deepens.
Read more:
Mpumalanga farmer nabbed for selling rotten food to retailers
Black farmers hope inquiry will beef up market access
