Granny Among Five Arrested for Selling Rotten Food

A 75-year-old woman has become the latest family member to be implicated in an alleged scheme involving the repackaging and sale of expired and rotten food to unsuspecting consumers in the Secunda area.

Wilhemina Jacoba (75) and Phakamani Hlongwane (36) handed themselves over to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Secunda after being linked to the already-arrested trio – Pieter Grobler (31), Mark Lombard (29) and Sonnet Lombard (46).

Jacoba and Hlongwane briefly appeared before the Secunda Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 8 December 2025. Both were released on R2 500 bail and are expected to return to court on 6 February 2026.

The arrests stem from a tip-off received by the Hawks regarding illicit activities taking place on a farm in Charl Cilliers, just outside Secunda. During Grobler’s arrest, investigators seized several items, including vehicles and cool rooms allegedly used in the illegal operation.

Authorities confirmed that a large quantity of expired and rotten food, deemed unfit for human consumption, was disposed of during the operation.

All five accused face charges relating to the contravention of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, as well as corruption, fraud and money laundering.

Mpumalanga’s Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, condemned the acts as “inhumane” and vowed that the investigation would continue until every person linked to the scheme is held accountable.