Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has allowed Shoprite to reopen its shop at Chichiri Shopping Centre in Blantyre after addressing shortfalls inspectors had noted on Tuesday.
MBS raided the supermarket and other shops in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu and ordered their closure for selling expired goods, poor storage and compromised hygiene standards.
But during a visit to Shoprite, ChipikuPlus at the Clock Tower Mall and other shops that were closed on Tuesday, The Nation found that the operators had reopened.
In an interview yesterday, the bureau’s communications officer Wazamazama Katatu said the shops were allowed to reopen after successfully addressing the issues.
He said: “However, Shoprite shop in Lilongwe [Old Town] has failed the first follow-up audit exercise this morning as they have not satisfactorily addressed issues. It will remain closed.”
Katatu further said they will proceed with the special inspection operations in all regions of the country and was concurrently being done by follow up audits on the shops that are being closed.
Meanwhile, consumers have commended the bureau for the special inspections, which they said will bring sanity, improve standards, quality and service in the supermarket sector.
A customer at Shoprite in Blantyre who opted for anonymity said the special inspection operation has also raised awareness on the need to check the expiry dates of products before purchasing them.
He said: “From now onwards, I will be checking the expiry date of all goods that I buy and I will be paying extra attention before buying anything.”
Consumers Association of Malawi executive director John Kapito said they are expecting shops in Malawi to comply with all the laws and standards.
“It is important for them to start complying with standard and quality laws,” he said.
