Ramaphosa vows to shut down shops linked to children food poisoning deaths

The spaza shops and street vendors that have been implicated in the deaths of South African children in food-borne illnesses will be shut down.

This is what President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday evening in his family meeting about the government’s response to food-borne illnesses and deaths.

The scourge of alleged food poisoning in the country has resulted in the deaths of at least 22 children and scores hospitalised over the last few months after allegedly consuming snacks at tuckshops across the country.

22 children dead, many hospitalised

According to the president, a total of 890 incidents have been reported across the country, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal being the most affected, and Limpopo, Free State, and Mpumalanga also recording dozens of incidents.

These include six children in Naledi, Soweto, who died last month.

Their deaths were attributed to a hazardous chemical used as a pesticide known as Terbufos.

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“Few words can adequately convey our sadness and our pain as a nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families as they go through the pain and the anguish of losing their children,” Ramaphosa said.

The country has been eagerly awaiting an address from the president as the incidents have closed school tuckshops in several parts of South Africa and led to the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to look into the crisis.

These incidents also sparked massive outcries, leading to several community protests countrywide.

Massive outcries to children’ deaths

The president said people have every right to be upset and angry but called on the nation to unite and work together to end these deaths.

Speaking on Terbufos, Ramaphosa said it can have serious health effects, even at low levels of exposure, and that it is registered in South Africa for agricultural use, not household use.

However, Terbufos is being informally sold as a so-called ‘street pesticide’ for domestic use in townships and informal settlements to control rats.

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In the case of the Naledi children, traces of Terbufos were found inside and outside a chip packet found on one of the children who died.

During spaza shop inspections, inspectors confiscated a number of illegal pesticides and found food was being stored alongside pesticides and detergents.

The president added that it was also found that these spaza shops lacked proper food storage and hand and dishwashing facilities, increasing the likelihood of food contamination.

Spaza shop inspections

“Even as our investigations are ongoing, it is critical to understand that this is not a problem confined to spaza shops and other informal traders,” Ramaphosa emphasised.

“The unregulated use of restricted pesticides in communities has become a growing problem, with devastating consequences.”

Another chemical called aldicarb and an organophosphate known as galephirimi are also commonly sold to control rat infestations.

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Aldicarb has been banned for use in South Africa since 2016; however, last year, three children in Ekurhuleni and three children in Soweto died after exposure to Aldicarb.

The president conceded that one of the reasons people use pesticides is to deal with rat infestations due to poor waste management in several municipalities.

“Rubbish is not collected regularly; streets are not being cleaned, creating conditions for rats and other pests to thrive,” he said.

Hazardous pesticides to deal with rat infestations

“Often, the poorest communities are the worst affected, and often the cheapest remedies that are used are these highly hazardous substances like Terbufos and Aldicarb.”

Ramaphosa said the government also needs to prevent the spread of misinformation regarding the crisis.

He emphasised that the investigation does not suggest any deliberate campaign to poison children, and there is also no evidence that the problem is confined to spaza shops owned by foreign nationals only.

Government measures to deal with crisis

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To protect the most vulnerable in the country, a special Cabinet meeting was convened to come up with interventions to get hazardous pesticides off the street, protect children from exposure to these substances, and prevent future outbreaks.

To get hazardous pesticides off the street:

• The spaza shops that have been linked to deaths of children will be shut down immediately.
• Within 21 days of today, all spaza shops and other food handling establishments need to register with the municipalities where they conduct business.
• The South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies will be required to investigate, arrest, and prosecute offenders.
• Food handling facilities, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers will all be subject to compliance inspections by integrated multidisciplinary inspection teams.
• Shops and noncompliant establishments connected to any poisoning cases or discovered to illegally stock dangerous chemicals will be closed.
• Every Terbufos registered manufacturer will undergo inspection to make sure no goods are being sold in non-agricultural markets. To make sure that rules are being followed and that there is responsibility for who they sell to, the supply chain process for Terbufos’ distribution and sale will be examined.
• Regulations and protocoals related to the sale, destruction, repackaging, and traceability of pesticides, insecticides, and food items will be strengthened.

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To prevent children from exposure to harmful substances:

• The Department of Basic Education will immediately put out a circular on best practices for managing and preventing foodborne diseases in schools to all schools and Provincial Education Departments.
• The recommendations for schools on the management of food suppliers to public schools will be reviewed and updated by the Department of Basic Education, School Governing Bodies, and the Department of Health by the beginning of the new school year.
• Children, parents, caregivers, and the general public will all be the target of a public education campaign about food safety and the proper handling, storage, and identification of hazardous chemicals.
• The health and basic education ministers will designate specific pesticides and insecticides that are unfit for domestic use as “dangerous objects” that are prohibited from being used or transported into school property.

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To prevent future outbreaks:

• Rat infestations require immediate action from local governments, including waste removal and city and town cleaning.
• All patient deaths who are 12 years of age or younger shall be recorded in the Notifiable Medical Condition Surveillance System.
• The National Department of Health will be able to obtain cause of death data as soon as a death is confirmed, thanks to the establishment of an electronic medical certification of death system.
• To better regulate the entry of goods, organisms, and hazardous biological products at ports of entry, the Biosecurity Hub’s efforts will be reinforced.
• The Department of Agriculture is currently studying and revising all pertinent laws pertaining to the control and approval of the use of agricultural pesticides.

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Ramaphosa added that a joint fund of R500 million will be established by the Departments of Trade, Industry, and Competition and Small Business Development to support township and rural businesses, including community convenience shops.

The funding will be for the refurbishment of businesses and non-financial support in terms of technical skills, regulatory compliance, and capacity building.

‘Work together to overcome crisis’

The president has called on South Africans to work together to overcome the crisis.

“Each of us needs to be better informed about the risks of pesticides and other dangerous products. Each of us needs to take responsibility for the safety and well-being of those around us, particularly the children of our nation,” he said.

“By working together, by enforcing the law, by being alert and responsible, we will be able to bring an end to these tragedies.”