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QWASIE
IMQAS MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN
CHAIRMAN'S PEN JULY 2015 Dear colleagues
W e are already midway
through 2015. The win-
ter solstice ( the shortest day and
longest night of the year ) an-
nounces that we are approaching
the second half of the year. It
feels as if the first 6 months
passed in the blink of an eye.
T he four abattoirs of the
Midlands Group joined
IMQAS as from June this year.
We welcome the personnel of
Vereeniging, Wolwehoek, Frank-
fort and Harrismith to the IMQAS
family. May it be a happy and
mutually beneficial relationship for
many years to come.
T here is no further news
about the independent
meat inspection court case between
the RMIF (Red Meat Industry Forum)
and DAFF (Department of Agricul-
ture, Forestry and Fisheries). We will
keep you posted (see news report
inside). Apparently there is a dispute
between the parties whether the 60
day period determined by the court,
are calendar days or court days. If
the process hereafter runs as
smoothly as the independent meat
classification, there should be no
upheavals or threats to our business.
W e received our certifi-
cation from SAMIC
which proudly an-
nounces:
SAMIC, appointed as assignee in
Page 1
tural Products Standards Act 1990
(Act No. 119 of 1990) hereby certifies
that: IMQAS complies with the re-
quirements for a Service Provider as
prescribed in Table 6 of the “ Regula-
tions regarding the classification and
marking of meat intended for sale in
the Republic of South Afri-
ca” (Government Notice No. R. 55 of
30 January 2015), and may thus act
as Service Provider.
T he certificate of approval is
valid until 31 July 2016. We
expect our red meat classifiers to do
us proud in performing their daily task
of ensuring that carcasses are accu-
rately classified and that all the regu-
lations are complied with. I wish to
thank everyone who assisted in set-
ting up the Quality Management Sys-
tem as prescribed by the regulations.
M y best wishes to you for
a blessed and success-
ful July.
Gerrie Oberholzer
Executive Chairman
318 The Hillside, Lynnwood, Pretoria, 0081
Tel:012 348 5115/6 Fax: 012 348 5117
Email: info@imqas.co.za
Website: www.imqas.co.za
ABATTOIR NEWS
Page 2
318 The Hillside, Lynnwood, Pretoria, 0081
Tel:012 348 5115/6 Fax: 012 348 5117
Email: info@imqas.co.za
Website: www.imqas.co.za
Pretoria - Abattoir operators have been ordered by the High Court in Pretoria to clean up their act and ensure their premises are inspected for improved meat safety.
Abattoirs must use independent meat inspectors and follow guidelines as set out in the Meat Safety Act (MSA).
The court order was issued on Monday, after the Red Meat Industry Forum launched an application against the Minister of
Agriculture, Senzeni Zokwana, and all nine provincial MECs.
Neither the minister nor the MECs opposed the application.
Judge Billy Mothle directed the minister and the national executive officer in his department, Dr Tembile Songabe, to take
steps to provide independent meat inspection services to all grades of abattoirs in respect of all slaughtered animals.
Songabe must file a report, made under oath, with the court, setting out the implementation of the order and stating who
have been appointed as independent meat inspectors, within 60 days.
David Ford, chairman of the Red Meat Industry Forum, said in papers before court that the body is the custodian and
watchdog of the South African red meat industry.
One of its tasks is to encourage a code of conduct to command the confidence and respect of the public.
It protects the interests of the red meat industry and as such is concerned about the lack of an independent meat inspection
service in South Africa, Ford said.
This is to ensure that only healthy “physiologically normal” animals are slaughtered for human consumption and that
“abnormal animals are dealt with accordingly”.
It is also to ensure that the animals are disease-free and “wholesome” and assure a clean, sanitary handling and prepara-
tion of the meat. The inspectors also have to keep a lookout for false labelling.
One of the biggest reasons for appointing the inspectors is to prevent food-borne illnesses, the court was told. A 2005 World Health Organization report said there were 1.8 million deaths from diarrhea-related diseases caused by contaminat-ed food. It is also reported that in some countries up to 30 percent of the population succumb to food-borne illnesses every
year.
Ford said while the red meat forum called for an independent inspector to be appointed, this had not been done for the past 14 years during which the act had been in operation. The forum had, over the years, called on Parliament to compel the
minister to put these safety measures in place, but in vain.
“The forum is thus left with no option but to approach this court to
remedy this untenable situation.”
Some abattoirs have on an ad hoc basis engaged meat inspec-tors, and in some cases abattoirs employed their own, he said. But this contravened the requirement that an independent body had to do such inspections.
Court cracks whip on abattoirs
By Zelda Venter Comment on this story
Abattoir operators have been ordered by the High Court in Pretoria to clean up their act and ensure their premises are inspected for improved meat safety. FILE PHOTO: Kacper Pempel
TRAINING Page 3
318 The Hillside, Lynnwood, Pretoria, 0081
Tel:012 348 5115/6 Fax: 012 348 5117
Email: info@imqas.co.za
Website: www.imqas.co.za
Our Training Officials, Monty (green hat) and Maxwell (blue hat) are currently conducting abattoir practical train-
ing for the UJ 2nd year Environmental Health students at Kanhym Abattoir in Benoni.
The students receive well structured, abattoir practical training from two subject matter experts who ensures
their learning adheres to the specific outcomes of their course. The Training Officials are not only responsible
for the training of these students; they also serve as Mentors for the abattoir workers and students while they
train the students.
The Kanhym Manager, Robbie Hammilton, was a part-time Lecturer and Examiner for 2nd year Environmental
Health students at the University of Johannesburg for approximately 12 years. He has a passion for training
and agreed that the University of Johannesburg 2nd and 3rd year students may have their abattoir practical train-
ing at Kanhym abattoir.
The IMQAS TRAINING TEAM would like to thank Robbie and his abattoir staff for the excellent support they
give to the Training Team in the training of our future Environmental Health Practitioner professionals.
Page 4
318 The Hillside, Lynnwood, Pretoria, 0081
Tel:012 348 5115/6 Fax: 012 348 5117
Email: info@imqas.co.za
Website: www.imqas.co.za
2 MR MT MOGOJE BEEFMASTER KIMBERLEY NC
3 MR J ZIETSMAN WORCESTER ABATTOIR EC
4 MR NT MORAMOTSE SPARTA FOODS OFS
5 MR L MOYO POTCHEFSTROOM OFS
5 MR FN HITCHCOCK OOS VRYSTAAT KAAP NC
9 MR AC DU TOIT RELIËF FREE STATE OFS
10 MR WD JOSEPH WILLISTON ABATTOIR NC
15 MR PK MOSIA SPARTA FOODS OFS
16 MS M SEKONYELA AUSTEN EVANS EC
18 MS NT YANTA ROELCOR-MALMESBURY WC
19 MR S MDISHWA GLEN ROY ABATTOIR EC
20 MR L MENEMENE EAST LONDON EC
22 MS E PLAATJIES GWK-GROBLERSHOOP NC
22 MR TK MAANO BEEFMASTER KIMBERLEY NC
24 MS FM QUMBA WILLISTON ABATTOIR NC
27 MR AC MATLALA VEREENIGING MEAT PACKERS GAU
30 MR R MULAUDZI MEDINA MEATS OFS
Human Resources Info
Please take note that your 2014/2015 IRP5 will
be attached to your June 2015 payslip .
Keep in a safe place as a request for a copy you
will be charged
JULY
2015
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