City Of Harare Probes Restaurant For Allegedly Selling Pet Food To Customers

A social venue in Harare’s Central Business District is facing potential closure following reports that it may have been serving pet food to customers.

The establishment operates a restaurant and bar on the ground floor, with another bar upstairs.

Prosper Chonzi, the City of Harare’s director of health services, said on Tuesday that authorities will investigate the venue and take action, including closure, if it is found to be breaching food safety regulations. He said:

“We will definitely go and investigate and find out what is happening, with a view to either correcting the situation or closing the place.

“I think it is really worrisome if people are being so uncultivated as to sell that kind of food to my unsuspecting clients. That is just not acceptable.”

Chonzi said the Food and Food Standards Act applies to all food outlets, which are required to maintain strict hygiene and safety standards at all times.

He added that the reports are particularly concerning, given the city’s susceptibility to communicable disease outbreaks. Said Chonzi:

“This is happening at a time when we are preparing for outbreaks such as typhoid, cholera and other diseases that occur in the city centre.

“It is a cause for concern. It is really catastrophic. We are exposing a lot of people.”

He said the investigation would extend beyond the type of food served to assess overall health and safety compliance at the premises. Said Chonzi:

“When you hear such comments, it might not just be about the food. There might be other issues. What is the situation with their toilets? What is their water source?

“What about their employees? Are they certified to handle food? Do they have valid medical certificates? Are they free from TB and other conditions?

“Do they wash their hands before handling food? These are serious issues. It opens a whole can of worms, and we really need to go down to the bottom of it.”

Chonzi said he would instruct his officers to carry out inspections immediately, with work set to begin before the end of the week.

More: The Herald