A Strandfontein shop owner has raised the alarm about fake health inspectors who claim to be conducting Covid-19 compliance inspections and charging R500.
The 54-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, says she got a skrik on Wednesday when three women arrived at her huiswinkel saying they were there to ‘inspect’ the premises.
“My shop is run by Bangladeshi men and they called me to say that there were inspectors there and they asked for R500 to sanitise the shop,” explains the woman.
“I went to the shop and saw three women checking things and questioned them.
“They told me they are checking Covid-19 compliance and started going through the shop and I stopped them and refused to pay them.
“When I asked them to prove who they are they gave me a piece of paper with a number and a government logo.
“They got such a skrik and left in a hurry because they were trying to convince my staff that they were inspectors and I believe they intentionally targeted the shop because it is run by Bangladeshi men and did not expect a coloured auntie to show up.
“They were writing things on their clipboard and signed off my store as ‘non-compliant’ and left.”
The page given to the shop owner had contact details of a Covid-19 compliance officer and the national coat of arms with the wording “Health Department Republic of South Africa”.
However Provincial Health Department Spokesperson Mark van Der Heever says they do not sanitise the stores.
“Our department does not perform sanitisation of business and will definitely not go into a shop and start sanitising and then ask for payment.
“Deep cleaning is arranged by the individual business directly with a supplier.”
The Daily Voice called the number provided on the page and spoke to Mark Minnies from Quest Hygiene Services who admits he and his staff visited the shop.
He claimed to have completed a course endorsed by the health department and was a qualified Covid-19 compliance officer.
“We went to the shop and asked if they were compliant and offered our service to help them, then the woman was called.
“Nobody said we are from the health department. I was outside but could hear the conversation.”
Asked if they intentionally misrepresented themselves at shops run by foreign nationals who may not understand them, Minnies said: “The foreigners are all corrupt to the bone.”