MPUMALANGA – Farmer Pieter Johannes Grobler, 61, was arrested and released on R8,000 bail for allegedly repackaging and selling expired and rotten food for human consumption. Grobler spent a night in custody before his release at the Secunda Magistrate’s Court on February 6, 2025.
According to the Hawks, Grobler’s arrest followed a tip-off from a reliable source about hazardous activities on his farm. An investigation led by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, in collaboration with SAPS and Govan Mbeki municipality health inspectors, uncovered two warehouses with four cold rooms containing rotten and expired food.
The court ordered Grobler to report to Charl Cillier SAPS every Monday between 08:00 and 18:00 and to surrender his travelling documents until further notice. His case has been postponed to March 27, 2025, to allow for further investigation.
Major General Nico Gerber, Mpumalanga provincial head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), praised the team for preventing a potential catastrophe. “The postponement will allow our members to conduct a thorough investigation and identify other people who may have fallen victim to this inhumane act,” Gerber said.
