In the last couple of months, more than 20 children died as a result of food poisoning, and the problem continues to rear its ugly head in the country. Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the spate of food poisoning a national disaster.
DANGEROUS CHEMICALS DISCOVERED
In October, after the death of six children from Naledi In Soweto, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that the children's deaths were caused by an organophosphate, terbufos. Monica Sebetwana (6), Isago Mabote (8), Ida Maama (7), Karabo Rampou (9), Njabulo Msimanga (7), and Katlego Olifant (7) passed away after eating snacks bought from a foreign-owned spaza shop. Motoaledi said they believed that the snacks were contaminated by pesticides. "All six children died of terbufos ingestion. The toxicology has proven that the actual cause of death is organophosphate and not carbamate,' Motsoaledi said at the time.
PROVINCES AFFECTED
The provinces that have been hit the hardest by a rise in such incidents include Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. In Gauteng, Premier Panyaza Lesufi said that twenty-three learners died as a result of foodborne diseases since January. Lesufi said this in November during a meeting with municipalities on the implementation of by-laws governing spaza shops in the province.
MORE THAN 441 CASES WERE REPORTED IN GAUTENG
Lesufi said that children between the ages of six and ten are involved in the bulk of the cases. According to Lesufi, "seven postmortem results out of the 19 deaths tested positive for organophosphate," and there have been 441 cases of food contamination documented in the province since the year started. Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni reported the highest number of fatalities. "A reporting template is being developed to be utilised by hospitals, schools, and community health care centres to ensure that we have accurate reporting in this regard," said the premier. Additionally, he stated that in every instance where children have been killed, they have eaten snacks that were bought from spaza stores and sellers near their schools. Many children live in these provinces.
SPAZA SHOPS IMPLICATED IN FOOD POISONING CASES CLOSED
During his address to the nation last month over the rise in food-borne diseases, President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered that spaza shops implicated in the deaths of children from food poisoning be closed with immediate effect. "We have directed that these shops, which have been implicated in the deaths of children, be closed with immediate effect," Ramaphosa said. The President added that all spaza shops and other food handling facilities be registered within the municipalities in which they operate within 21 days. "From today, any shop that is not registered within 21 days and does not meet all health standards and requirements will be closed. The South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies will be required to investigate, arrest, and prosecute offenders. This will involve close cooperation with all registered manufacturer retailers and suppliers and integrated multidisciplinary inspection teams to undertake compliance and inspection of all spaza shops," he said. The initial deadline to register and trigger the process of obtaining operating licences was on Tuesday, 17 December 2024. The new deadline is 28 February 2025.
