The tragic loss of 23 young children due to food poisoning incidents has prompted Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to take immediate action.
During a media briefing at the Sci-Bono Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Sunday, Lesufi unveiled a comprehensive set of resolutions aimed at eradicating foodborne illnesses that have reportedly affected over 414 children in the province.
In response to the alarming spike in food poisoning cases, Lesufi announced a total re-registration of all spaza shops, a move designed to ensure stricter oversight of informal food vendors.
Many of these shops are reportedly managed by illegal immigrants, raising concerns about the safety and hygiene of their food products.
“We started the process by establishing a technical task team led by MEC Jacob Mamabolo,” he stated, highlighting that the task team would focus on law enforcement and developing a solid response plan.
“This is essential because we need to respond as a province to all the challenges that we are facing,” Lesufi added.
Calls for all spaza shops to be shut down and re-registered to comply with by-laws were first echoed by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula last week.
Mbalula, who stated that 12 children had died, urged the government to ensure all spaza shop owners re-register and deport any who are undocumented.
Lesufi shared grim statistics underscoring the urgency of the situation. He revealed that at least 441 reported cases of food poisoning have been tracked by the Department of Health, with 23 fatalities resulting from the consumption of contaminated foods from spaza retailers.
This announcement has prompted a renewed push for better public awareness regarding the dangers of buying unregulated food products.
“We have tracked down 441 cases that have been followed by the Department of Health, and among the 441, unfortunately, there were 23 children that passed away. So, what we are saying every week now is that we’re going to develop a template that will be utilised by hospitals, clinics, schools, and community centres. This will ensure our data is reliable, and we can pinpoint areas needing immediate attention,” he said.
Lesufi explained that among the nine post-mortems conducted thus far, at least seven results tested positive for organophosphates, toxic substances that pose severe health risks.
“Every week now, we will be developing a template... ensuring that our data is reliable and we can pinpoint areas needing immediate attention,” Lesufi elaborated.
This template aims to track incidents more effectively, creating a standardised data collection system across various institutions.
The premier’s announcements come in light of the need for “a comprehensive approach” to tackle food safety issues in Gauteng.
“Addressing these issues necessitates stricter regulations, better enforcement of existing laws, and increased public awareness,” Lesufi commented, urging the community to remain vigilant when purchasing from spaza shops and other informal food outlets.
The Star