Unsafe electrical goods seized as NRCS faces resistance during raids

Date: 06 November 2025 By: Thembi Siaga

The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) says it will continue to crack down on the sale of unsafe electrical goods after a three-day enforcement drive in Musina and Louis Trichardt last week.

From 28 to 30 October, NRCS inspectors carried out surprise inspections to seize products that failed to meet compulsory safety standards under the NRCS Act (No. 5 of 2008). In Louis Trichardt, only a few shops were checked as many were found closed, raising suspicions of tip-offs.

This was not entirely surprising: the NRCS had notified the media, local municipalities and the police more than a week before the operation.

Confiscated goods included non-compliant safety shoes, air fryers, air fresheners, paraffin stoves, extension cords, plugs, pressure cookers, dishwashers, butchery scales and food items such as viennas and polony. The seized products, worth about R370,000, will be destroyed in line with the NRCS Act.

The enforcement team was supported by the South African Police Service, the Vhembe District Municipality, and Musina and Makhado Local Municipality. NRCS spokesperson Daniel Ramarumo said the operation had faced resistance from traders and an assault on one inspector.

“The biggest challenge was resistance by businesspeople, especially those not familiar with South African regulations,” Ramarumo said. “The NRCS Act mandates us to take unsafe products off the shelves, and when traders don’t understand that, it becomes a problem.”

Inspector Nokuthula Pearl Ngobeni said she had been injured while trying to prevent a shop from closing during an inspection. “The husband rolled the garage door on my shoulder and told me to move. His wife covered my mouth and nose with her hand, telling me to keep quiet,” she said. Ngobeni sought medical attention for shoulder pain but did not open a case, saying she only wanted an apology.

Ramarumo said unsafe electrical goods continued to flood the market. “Electrical goods are not safe and are going to be a ticking time bomb soon in this province. We find illegal items such as air fryers and extension cords that are not marked. They don’t even have voltage lines, and that, by law, is irregular. We will make sure we remove them.”

He added that about 12 shops, including some large retailers, were closed when officials arrived. “That told us something might be happening. The biggest punishment will be confiscating and destroying their stock if it’s the first offence. If it happens again, we will take legal action.”

Ramarumo said the NRCS would continue enforcement drives across Limpopo to ensure compliance and protect consumers.

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Thembi Siaga

Thembi Siaga started as an intern during 2021. He assisted with video photography and editing. He also produced numerous small documentaries, focusing on the Vhembe region and its people. Currently he works as a freelance journalist, covering stories in the Elim area. Thembi studied at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he completed his diploma in Journalism in 2021.