However, Woolworths has denied that the problem is solely theirs, saying it was told by Canal Walk management that the shopping centre has a rodent issue.

"Canal Walk management have advised us that there is a rodent issue within the centre and that they are dealing with it," a Woolworths spokesperson said in a statement issued to News24 on Thursday.

But Canal Walk marketing manager, Vanessa Herbst, said the issue was isolated to the Woolworths.

"This is specifically within the Woolworths store. We, from our side, have started to assist Woolworths with dealing with the issues. We have never seen anything like this," she said.

"We are busy investigating the rodent issue within one of our stores. This is definitely not a mall-wide problem. We have a programme in place that has effectively dealt with the rodent problem the past few years."

Apology

On Wednesday the Cape Argus reported that a Woolworths customer in Canal Walk came across a rat on January 7.

"I was unpacking the groceries and put the bread on the counter. The packet started to move. A rat ran out of the packet, across the counter, past the cashier and through the crowd," it quoted the customer as having said in a Facebook post.

"No one on the floor came to check if we were okay. Nobody came to see if the cashier was okay, who had to pick up the loaf of bread to remove it from the customers' sights."

The Facebook post appears to have since been deleted.

Woolworths apologised to the customer in its emailed response to News24 on Thursday.

"[We can] confirm that we have taken independent action to eradicate the problem and continue to monitor the situation closely," the Woolworths spokesperson said in the statement on Thursday.

-News24.com