At first, the Ford Kuga was recalled to be fixed.
Remember that drama? There was a time when one was almost scared to drive too closely to a Kuga 1.6-litre, after more than 40 of these vehicles caught fire. How this impacted Ford in general – in terms of sales and reputation and credibility – one will probably never know.
Then, our former laughing President – Jacob Zuma – got recalled because the party lost faith in him. This after he survived countless motions of no confidence and led the country down the slippery slope of an economic meltdown. Eventually his presidency and hold onto power also went up in flames.
Now it is processed cold meats… Yes, the beloved polony for some – manufactured by certain brands – has been recalled because of the Listeriosis outbreak.
For those who still do know what all the fuss is about, Listeria monocytogenes can cause an infection called Listeriosis when food contaminated with the micro-organism is eaten.
These bacteria are found in soil, water and vegetation but can also occur in some animals, including poultry and cattle. Raw milk and foods made from raw milk can also carry the bacteria.
So far 180 people have died from Listeriosis, most of them children. So yes, this is something very serious.
The reality is we live in a world full of bacteria. It creeps into anything and into everything. Apparently, it crept into a factory or two, but this is being denied by the manufacturing company.
There are many other species of bacteria that can contaminate food and make you sick. These include campylobacter, salmonella, E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, clostridium perfringens and botulism, among others.
These bacteria are often spread when food isn’t handled in a hygienic way.
Unfortunately, bacteria cannot be recalled, but dealing with bacteria boils down to simple hygiene.
Sadly, the Listeriosis outbreak has even been politicised, to the point that some are calling this some kind of white conspiracy to murder the black people.
Really? Such nonsense we really do not need in this country. Last time I checked, bacteria is something which does not choose colour or wealth. And polony can be found in any refrigerator – it just depends who buys the stuff.
There have also been the jokes on social media, but the reality is that 180 deaths are no joke. The real culprit is not white monopoly, or whatever other nonsense, but the existence of bacteria that has always co-existed with mankind.
By the way, have you heard that even in Australia they have had cases of Listeriosis? Yes, folks, it is simply a case of bacteria.
Did you know there are approximately 5000 germs on your hand at any given time? Do you know about 100 to 200 species of bacteria actually live in your mouth, while there are thousands, even millions of bacteria living on the surface of a tooth?
Freaky, but the reality is that we are surrounded by germs and bacteria. It is part of life. Just practising good hygiene will help a lot.
The Listeriosis outbreak panic has also caused a flutter in the informal settlements, where people are warned not to consume the fast food item kota, which includes polony and Russian sausages.
It will also impact cash-strapped households that rely more on processed meats for protein because other meat products have become even more expensive.
The recall of polony will probably be followed by the recall of land as the EFF has called for the expropriation of land without compensation.
What on earth is happening in South Africa with all these recalls? As far as I can recall, we are in a mess across the board in South Africa because we failed to recall our President and his entire cabinet much sooner.
Now our new-look cabinet is trying to recapture the state from those who captured it in the first place.
Yes, the state has been captured and the Guptas cannot be recalled. Germs exist, so does bacteria.
At the end of the day, we will do what we always do – adapt, survive and wash our hands.
