Tshwane activates disaster operations centre in response to food poisoning cases

Following the deaths of 22 children rom food poisoning across South Africa, the City of Tshwane on Monday activated a disaster operations centre.

The high number of foodborne illnesses have been connected to contamination at informal food outlets and spaza shops, as well as poor food handling practices.

The city said the disaster operations centre will help prevent further tragedies related to food poisoning.

According to Mayor Nasiphi Moya, the disaster operations centre is currently activated at Level 2, which allows a multisectoral response to manage the crisis.

“I want to assure residents that the safety and well-being of our communities remain our highest priority,” she said.

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Disaster Operations Centre’s focus points

Moya added that the Disaster Operations Centre will focus on the following three areas of intervention:

• Immediate intervention

It will ensure swift action to inspect spaza shops, confiscate hazardous substances and enforce compliance with municipal health and safety regulations.

• Ongoing monitoring and reporting

Daily situational reports will update the number of inspections conducted, cases addressed, and actions taken. This will ensure transparency and allow officials to track progress effectively.

• Long-term solutions

Beyond enforcement, the city will implement measures to strengthen food safety practices in the informal economy. An online registration portal for spaza shops and informal traders will be launched to streamline compliance processes. Additionally, the city will roll out training programmes on food safety, digital literacy and regulatory adherence for informal traders.

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‘Protection of our children’

The centre will also co-ordinate resources and expertise from others departments, including the Health Department, Environment and Agriculture Management Department, Emergency Services Department, Economic Development and Spatial Planning Department, Tshwane Metro Police Department and the Communication, Marketing and Events Department.

“We recognise the critical role that spaza shops play in Tshwane’s economy and communities,” Moya said.

However, the city said it “will not compromise” on its efforts to ensure that all spaza shops comply with the by-laws.

“Public health and safety, and the protection of our children, will remain our primary concerns during this crisis.”

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