Trade

MBABANE – A popular Chinese-owned restaurant in Mbabane has been shut down after a multi-agency raid uncovered large quantities of unlabelled high-alcohol liquor allegedly being sold to patrons, including pupils and young people.

The name of the restaurant is Chinese Garden Restaurant.

The operation followed a litany of reports made to the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) by concerned parents who alleged that unlabelled alcoholic beverages with exceptionally high alcohol content were being sold at the establishment, particularly to pupils and youth.

The reports reportedly raised concerns among parents and community members who feared that young people were consuming products whose origin, ingredients and alcohol content could not easily be verified.

Acting on the complaints, officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, the Immigration Department and the Royal Eswatini Police Service conducted a joint inspection at the establishment this week.

The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by authorities to ensure businesses comply with consumer protection, immigration and other regulatory requirements.

Upon arriving at the premises, officials ordered the immediate closure of the business and instructed employees to stop operations pending further investigations.

Customers who were inside the establishment at the time were requested to leave while inspectors conducted their search.

During the operation, the restaurant’s managers were escorted away by police officers for questioning over immigration-related matters.

Authorities had not disclosed the nature of the immigration concerns by press time.

The raid uncovered large quantities of alcoholic beverages that allegedly did not meet basic consumer information requirements.

Inspectors found boxes of liquor without visible manufacturing dates, expiry dates or clear labelling.

Some of the products bore labels written entirely in Mandarin, making it difficult for consumers to determine the contents, origin and shelf life of the products.

Officials reportedly raised concerns that consumers purchasing the products may not have had sufficient information to make informed decisions about what they were consuming.

The seizure included substantial quantities of baijiu, a traditional Chinese distilled spirit that has recently become increasingly popular among patrons of the establishment.

Baijiu is colourless liquor commonly produced from fermented sorghum, although some varieties are made using rice, glutinous rice, wheat, barley or millet.

The spirit is widely known for its exceptionally high alcohol content.

Authorities who participated in the inspection indicated that several of the products seized from the premises contained alcohol concentrations exceeding 50 per cent alcohol by volume.

Officials reportedly expressed concern over the strength of some of the products and the absence of sufficient information for consumers regarding their composition and safe consumption.

Some inspectors allegedly questioned whether certain products required further examination to determine their exact composition and compliance with applicable standards.

The liquor was confiscated by officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade for allegedly contravening provisions of the Competition Act of 2007.

Section 33(e) of the Act prohibits businesses from supplying products likely to cause injury to health or physical harm to consumers when properly used, or products that fail to comply with prescribed consumer safety standards.

Authorities are expected to determine whether additional regulatory or legal action will follow.

The development has once again drawn attention to the growing popularity of the establishment among young people in Mbabane.

In recent weeks, the restaurant had become one of the city’s most talked-about entertainment venues because of its unusually low-priced alcoholic beverages.

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Some of the employees of the restaurant seen carrying alcohol seized by authorities during the raid at the restaurant yesterday. (Pic: Mlondzi Nkambule)

Among the food seized from the restaurant were these noodles as they appeared to have been exposed to open air and had started changing colour as a result. (Pic: Mlondzi Nkambule)

During the inspection, authorities seized various food items and ingredients from the kitchen after determining that some of the products were not fit for consumption.

Containers carrying sauces that were used in the kitchen being taken out by the health inspectors. (R) An empty jerry can of the potent Chinese traditional brew that was sold at the restaurant.