Unsafe plugs, baby car seats and cosmetics seized in Joburg China Mall crackdown

Unsafe electrical plugs, baby car seats, cosmetics and other goods have been seized at Johannesburg’s China Mall in a major crackdown on traders selling products that do not meet South Africa’s safety requirements.

The surprise raid at the shopping centre in Amalgam, south of Johannesburg, was carried out on Tuesday by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), working with the SA Police Service (SAPS), National Consumer Commission (NCC), Sars and other government departments.

General manager of the NRCS’s automotive business unit Duncan Mutengwe told TimesLIVE that they identified more than 10 shops that were non-compliant.

“We found lotions, perfumes and other cosmetics that did not meet legal packaging and labelling requirements,” he said.

Mutengwe said many of the traders questioned during the raid claimed they had not imported the products themselves.

Mutengwe said authorities needed to strengthen co-operation at the country’s borders, particularly between agencies responsible for goods entering the country.

He said thousands of containers arrive in South Africa, making it difficult for authorities to inspect everything.

He also raised concerns about false declarations by importers.

“These traders can tell you that it’s furniture that is coming in, only to find that there’s millions’ worth of electro-technical products,” he said.

It also has cash-and-carry outlets where small businesses and informal traders can buy goods in bulk, and its low prices have made it popular with shoppers looking for cheaper alternatives to mainstream retailers.

But some shoppers said they had never considered whether the products they bought there had gone through the required safety checks.

Sibongile Miya was at the mall to buy a ring light for her bakery business, which she also uses for content creation.

She said she was surprised to learn that some of the products being sold at the mall could be non-compliant.

“Each time I want something for my content, I come here because it’s affordable and I can always negotiate the price too, unlike going to an actual retail store in Sandton,” she said.

Glen Mothoa, a university student who lives in Katlehong, was at the centre with friends looking for a laptop.

He said he does not shop there regularly but knows he can find gadgets at prices he can afford.

“I know this place sells laptops at R4,000 or R3,000 and at the big retailers they sell it for R7,000, which is something I cannot afford. Hence why I come here,” he said.

Mothoa said he had never checked whether products sold at the mall were compliant.

Mutengwe said consumers should not assume that products are safe simply because they are being sold in a large shopping centre.

He said businesses selling regulated products must first have them tested and then apply to the NRCS for a letter of authority before the products can legally be sold.

“Non-compliant goods can take business away from companies that follow the rules, while also putting consumers at risk,” he said.

He encouraged businesses to ensure that they’re compliant. “It’s for the good of our own economy; it’s for the good of our own people.”