The Mpumalanga rotten food scandal has pulled a 75-year-old woman into the dock after she handed herself over to the Hawks. Investigators link her to an alleged family operation that repackaged rotten and expired food. This food was sold for human consumption from a farm near Charl Cilliers outside Secunda.
Bail, Charges and Next Court Date
The Secunda Magistrate’s Court has therefore granted the two latest accused bail of R2 500 each. However, all five accused must still return to court on 6 February 2026. The Mpumalanga rotten food scandal case moves forward.
Prosecutors have brought charges that include contravention of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act. In addition, the charge sheet lists corruption, fraud, and money laundering. During earlier raids, Hawks officers also seized vehicles, cold rooms, and large quantities of expired stock, which now form part of the evidence.
How the Rotten Food Scheme Allegedly Worked
According to the investigation, Grobler collected expired food from big retail warehouses. He claimed he needed it as feed for pigs on his farm. Instead, the product allegedly went into a repacking operation. This operation pushed expired meat, chicken, dairy, and other goods back into the market for people to eat. Consequently, unsuspecting customers may have bought food that should never have remained on shelves.
An employee told investigators that the sale of expired food had run as a family business for years. Grobler took over after his father’s death in 2021. When officers later searched the site, they found a truck stacked with mouldy cheese and a warehouse that smelled strongly of rotting food. Moreover, the floor was littered with plastic wrapping, flour, and yoghurt. This painted a grim picture of hygiene standards.
Hawks leadership has called the operation an inhumane attack on public health. They have also vowed to keep digging until everyone involved in the network faces court. This signals that more arrests could still follow.
