The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has set five conditions for reopening of Pizza Hut which was closed down a week ago for being found with expired products in their outlets.
The conditions were set after considering the issues raised in their exculpatory letter for LCC not to commence legal action against them.
On 24th July, 2018 Pizza Hut management wrote to LCC requesting not be dragged to court as management was willing to put their house in order.
The request was a response to the 24 hour ultimatum issued by LCC for Pizza Hut management to show cause why legal action should not be taken against them.
The request prompted LCC to call for a meeting with Pizza Hut management on 25th July, 2018, in which meeting it was resolved that the matter be settled amicably in the interest of consumers and the business house.
However, LCC set out conditions to be met by Pizza Hut before they could be allowed to reopen for business.
Some of the conditions were that Pizza Hut should ensure that stock sheets indicating production and expiry dates were available and well maintained in all the outlets and that all expired products and those not in use should always be cleared from the premises with the knowledge of LCC Waste Management Unit.
Others were to retrain and orient the outlet managers and food handlers on food safety and food laws and that the distribution centre and and all the outlets be re-inspected.
Pizza Hut was also asked to pay K45,000.00 to cover the cost of inspections, transportation and disposal of expired products and retraining of staff among other costs.
Pizza Hut has since met all the conditions with the latest being the retraining and orienting of staff which was held Saturday 28th July, 2018 at the Kabulonga outlet.
The local has warned and cautioned Pizza Hut management that should they be found wanting in future legal action would now be taken against them.
This is according to a statement by LCC a public Relations Manager George Sichamba.
Mr Sichamba says the Council hopes that the story of Pizza Hut would serve as a lesson to other business houses which may be neglecting the provisions of the Food and Drugs Act Cap 303 of the Laws of Zambia.
Why isnt LCC not taking them to court…get serious!!
At least this is worth something. Well done LCC. Enforcing the law is the language people understand, not just issuing empty threats like clueless Lungu’s administration likes to do. You have to ACT, not just talk. And LCC, you demonstrate that you’re serious. Lusaka residents will thank you, and the business community will respect you for it. Others will learn from this Pizza hut incident, and will try to follow your guidelines. The other thing I would recommend you do, is to have all people who work in restaurants be tested for contagious diseases such as TB. If they fail to pass a TB test, they shouldn’t be allowed to work in any restaurant. Make sure all businesses in Lusaka comply with city ordinances. And thanks guys. Great job. Keep it up.
how do you expect some one to bite the hand that feeds them? In order to get licences these companies are forced to oil the dirty dry hands of pf government officials. SO when they do wrong you think LCC has any leg to stand on? Its like some one taking care of you and your family and then he decides to sleep with you wife. where will you start from? In other words we are all being effed! when we tell you to vote upnd ati fyoo fyoo. wake up!
LCC has a mandate to issue a fine which if the culprit fails to meet the conditions, the LCC will take them to court. Court should only be last option and judgement should be made swift to minimise court costs just like those fast track proceedings for drink drivers
That’s a slap on the wrist. K45,000 is nothing for a commercial company. So no prosecution for feeding our people on expired food? There is corruption here
How can you expect businesses and there mere citizen to uphold high levels of hygiene and follow regulations when the people in power are dirty corrupt thieves? As they say in life.. lead by example. The PF government is corrupt and has embarked on a policy of irresponsible borrowing to enrich themselves. So how can you expect investors to uphold the law when you as so called leaders have failed to run your country? We in UPND will ensure that we clean up the civil service and all public institutions to ensure that there is a change in culture. We will also ensure that we have a culture of do as I do rather than as I say. We ask you all to take note of these issues and remember them when you cast your vote. We thank you
NÈZ..
Chief Strategist of the UPND
K45,000 is peanuts, charge them at least K5m for such shortcomings. Sometimes I wonder; just what’s wrong with Zambians mwebantu please?
Please whoever posts these articles should be mindful. So what amount is 45,0000? There are four (4) zeros not 3. Is the fine 450,000 in that a comma was misplaced or 45,000 in that one zero should have been omitted?
What is really worrying me is where LCC got the powers to judge and fine a company for breach of statutory obligations or law.
Law enforcement is a preserve of Judicial enforcement agencies like courts and in this case Lusaka City Council assumed the prosecution and Judgement powers – is Zambia becoming a banana republic? So if someone needs a bribe, all that they have to do is sniff around for even a minute offence and threaten legal action or receive a hefty bribe to drop the case with a slap on the wrist. Come on LCC – you are an embarrassment!
I don’t understand y our LCC so weak and I mean very weak.
It is not weakness but outright day light public corruption without shame!
LCC extend the same high standards to roadside food vendors serving in unsanitary conditions. Why hold int’l food vendors to high standards then let our own locals kill us with cholera?
What a weak country with useless laws.. Am just shocked at the stupidity expressed by Lusaka council.. No words!!!
Money better than the health of people? For how long have they been doing this? Why not just close it?
I once got pizza from their east park mall outlet some two years ago and I vowed never to buy from them again..it was wack
I make better Pizza at home than the Pizza Hut Pizza. Struggled to finish it when I bought kuno ku Ndola. Had to rush to Debonnairs to wash out the Pizza hut Pizza from my mouth.
The LCC should be encouraged to police the entire city and all vendors of food for public consumption. I wonder if Pizza Hut was particularly targeted because It is a multi-national franchise. I have lived in the Kabulonga, Ibex Hill area for over five years now. I would like to bring to the attention of the council the dreadful smell that comes from a well known farm in Ibex Hill. We are subjected to nauseous odors every single day! The smell reaches as far as Salama Park on some days. I wonder why nothing has been done about this farm for so long! I tried to contact the owner, but he did not respond to my admonition for him to attend to this very public nuisance. I hope when I approach the council shortly, as a concerned citizen, the owner of this farm will also be given a hefty fine or…
“Pizza Hut was also asked to pay K45,000.00 to cover the cost of inspections, transportation and disposal of expired products and retraining of staff among other costs.” This will send a very strong signals to others. For too long our good systems have remained on outr beatiful books it is time to implement our laws abd by-laws.
Please do not forget to check the flies rampant in our most eating places , Hungry lion at intercity,Lusaka, Spar food section ater Heroes stadium and others. Fly traps must be installed at all these food section areas to promote health conditions.
The best thing to do was for all those customers that bought junk food from these outlets on those particular dates must sue for been subjected to eating foods prepared using expired ingredients. LCC doesn’t care about pipos health or simply don’t have the powers to act accordingly.