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