Municipal Council of Manzini Champions Food Safety

In alignment with the global commemoration of World Food Safety Day, observed annually on June 7, the Municipal Council of Manzini has taken proactive steps to raise awareness on food safety under this year’s theme: “Food Safety: Science in Action.”

Recognizing the importance of educating future generations, the Council organized a Science Fair Competition targeting schools within the Manzini urban area. Participating schools included St. Theresa’s High School, St. Michael’s High School, and Ngwane Park High School. The competition encouraged students to explore and demonstrate scientific experiments focused on food safety principles, highlighting the critical role of science in maintaining safe and healthy food systems.

This initiative is about empowering young minds to understand and apply scientific knowledge in real-world contexts. Projects submitted in the competition showcased innovation in food preservation, contamination prevention and hygiene practices, all essential components of food safety. Through this hands-on learning experience, students gained deeper insights into how science safeguards our food from farm to table and further explored innovative ways to ensure even safer food preservation and processing methods.

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As part of the broader World Food Safety Day celebration, Council also recognized the best-performing food establishments in the city. These being, Shoprite new Junction Mall, Fish and Chips and Pizza Inn Bhunu Mall and Manzini Market Food Stall. This accolade was awarded based on results from the Standard Plate Count laboratory analysis, which assesses hygiene and microbial quality. The initiative is meant to encourage food vendors and establishments to uphold the highest standards in food safety and hygiene.

The Municipality remains committed to fostering a culture of food safety through public education, youth involvement, and recognition of excellence in the food service sector. Through these efforts, she aims to contribute to improved public health outcomes and build a safer, more resilient food system for all.

……Municipality Intensifies Food Quality Inspections in Local Supermarkets
Through its Environmental Health Section, the Municipality has launched an intensive food quality inspection campaign across all supermarkets operating within the city urban boundary. This initiative, aimed at protecting public health, has already covered major townships including Ngwane Park, Sterksroom, Fairview, and Skhunyane.

As part of this ongoing exercise, health inspectors from the municipality are conducting thorough assessments of food products to ensure compliance with regulatory food safety standards. Key focus areas include verifying expiry dates, best-before and sell-by dates, assessing the integrity of food packaging, and reviewing overall hygiene and storage conditions in retail establishments.

Food items found to be expired, poorly packaged, improperly pre-packed, or displaying signs of spoilage have been immediately removed from the shelves.
The inspections are being carried out in strict compliance with the Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations, 1973, and the Public Health Act, 1969. These laws are in place to uphold food safety and minimize potential health risks to consumers. To date, approximately 2,674 kilograms of food products deemed unfit for human consumption have been confiscated, condemned, and safely disposed of at the Municipality’s controlled dumpsite.

Council is urging business owners to stop selling or displaying food items that do not meet the required standards, warning that such practices constitute serious legal violations. At the same time, the public is encouraged to remain vigilant by checking expiry dates and inspecting food packaging before purchase.
Residents are also urged to report any suspected non-compliance or sale of substandard food products to the Environmental Health Section of the Municipality on 2508 5084/8002004/25057000 and WhatsApp 78082333/ 79664951.

This initiative underscores the Council’s firm commitment to enhancing food safety, promoting public health, and ensuring regulatory compliance within Manzini’s retail food sector.

……Council Rolls Out Health Outreach Across All Wards
The Municipality, through its Community Health Programme, has initiated a health outreach campaign aimed at bringing essential health services closer to residents in all twelve wards of the city. The programme targets under-served populations and focuses on the prevention, early detection, and management of diseases.

The outreach seeks to raise awareness on major non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors, including tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and harmful alcohol consumption. The initiative also promotes regular health screenings and check-ups. Since its inception, the programme has reached 1,348 residents, offering them basic health services and educational support. Collaborations have been made with key health partners including AHF, Amicaall, KS11, and Mkhiwa Clinic to expand the reach and impact of the programme.

A schedule of health screening exercises set to continue in the coming months, wherein for each date screening begins at 9:00am and ends 3:00pm:
June 2025
• St Pauls: 5th & 7th
• Lidwala Shops: 10th, 12th–14th
• Mjingo Gates: 17th & 21st
July 2025
• Zakhele Shops: 8th–12th
• Murray Social Centres: 15th–19th
August 2025
• Mangwaneni: 5th–9th
• Moneni: 12th–16th
September 2025
• Trelawney Park: 2nd–6th
• William Pitcher: 9th–13th
Council reaffirms her commitment to improving community health access, as this initiative is a vital step toward reducing disease burden and empowering residents to take control of their health.