The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants to launch an investigation into South Africa’s competition laws following two high-profile disputes involving long-time suppliers to Woolworths.
The debate intensified after the collapse of Beyers Chocolates and the closure of Grey’s Marine, both of which blamed deteriorating relationships with Woolworths for their downfall.
The retailer has strongly denied responsibility in both cases, arguing that the businesses’ own commercial decisions led to their problems.
The DA stressed that it is not specifically targeting Woolworths, but rather investigating broader structural problems within South Africa’s retail sector.
Beyers…