A pesticide, Terbufos, has been found in spaza shops and food items where at least 24 children have died and dozens were left hospitalised with symptoms including stomach pains across the country.
Concern spread after six children in Soweto, Gauteng died after eating snacks bought from a nearby spaza shop.
Since the beginning of September 2024, a total of 890 incidents of food-borne illnesses have been reported across all provinces.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have been the most affected, while Limpopo, Free State and Mpumalanga also recorded incidents.
In most cases, the illness started after food bought from spaza shops were consumed, but to date, no one has been held responsible.
Terbufos is blamed for the death of some of the children. The substance was being used for rat control in nearby spaza shops and homes, according to health reports.
The public has blamed the government for the situation, however, some have blamed local spaza shops as well as wholesalers where the owners buy their products.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen announced that according to laboratory tests, the Terbufos was not produced locally.
The law enforcement agencies are investigating.
Commissioner general Fannie Masemola said they would, through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), monitor adherence to the law.
“As the police we expect everyone to cooperate,” Masemola said.
“We will continue to visit warehouses countrywide to ensure that we know what is contained there, to ensure that we know what is being transported and to ensure that there is no illegal stuff that proliferate in the country.”
Frustrated community members have blamed Home Affairs for allegedly failing to document all foreigner nationals in the country and also the local government for failing to inspect the stores.
In recent years, in some raids by the authorities, owners were found to have been manufacturing their own products inside their shops.
Protests, and riots were witnessed in a bid to send a message to the government. There have been incidents where the store owners shot and killed community members.
The government’s intervention to prevent spaza shop deaths
On November 15, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a directive mandating that all spaza outlets register within 21 days in response to a nationwide food safety crisis.
These included the immediate closure of spaza shops implicated in the deaths and stricter regulations to protect communities.
The national government said the disaster management centre had classified food-borne illnesses as a National Disaster under the National Disaster Act.
The provincial and local governments have also chipped in to ensure that protocol was observed.
But many of the owners complained that the registration period was too short for their convenience. They asked for an extension to properly register their businesses.
The Impact on the Township Economy
Although the registration process was under way, many owners complained that the process would affect their daily trading because they have to close their shops and go stand in long queues to register businesses. They have called for an extension.
The township economy is estimated to be around half a billion rand.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has also urged street vendors not sell food items around the school premises.
Health care, safety, and measures in place by the Health Department
Speaking to IOL, Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko agreed that health played a key role in spaza shops and not only economic development.
Despite your basic knowledge of disinfecting the environment with household chemicals, Nkomo-Ralehoko said educational programmes on how to keep their spaces clean were a go-to-area.
“Even if the law enforcement agencies do come and punish them but at least once there is that session, one-on-one communication is better,” she said.
She admitted that they did have the capacity to inspect the spaza shops across Gauteng all at a go.
“We do have the health inspectors but the number is not enough… but they are working with health inspectors from municipalities, provincial teams, and environmental groups,” she said.
She asserted that they will try by all means to cover all their bases.
Meanwhile, the government has issued a stern warning to South Africans against registering spaza shops on behalf of foreigners.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics