Spaza shops in spotlight after children’s deaths

Twenty-two children around the country have lost their lives due to food borne illnesses. President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced decisive measures to address the recurring food-borne illnesses.These include the immediate closure of spaza shops implicated in the deaths and stricter regulations to protect communities.

Addressing the nation from the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday November 15, President Ramaphosa outlined three critical interventions to be implemented with immediate effect.

“Following the special meeting of Cabinet, we have decided to make the following interventions: The first intervention is to get hazardous pesticides off the street, the second critical intervention is to protect children from exposure to these substances, the third critical intervention is to prevent future outbreaks. The following measures will be implemented with immediate effect,” the President said.

He added that the spaza shops which have been implicated in the deaths of children will be closed with immediate effect. Non-compliant businesses and shops linked to any poisoning incidents or found to unlawfully stock hazardous chemicals will be shut down. To ensure compliance, all spaza shops and food-handling facilities must register with their respective municipalities within 21 days. Any shop that is not registered within 21 days and does not meet all health standards and requirements will be closed.

President Ramaphosa’s address comes in response to 890 reported cases of food-borne illnesses across the country, with Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Limpopo, Free State, and Mpumalanga the hardest hit.

Soon after the deaths of 22 children around the country, a multidisciplinary team in government was activated to address the incidents, with Cabinet having met on three occasions to receive reports on them. These teams included detectives from the South African Police Service (SAPS), health officials, environmental inspectors, Department of Agriculture officials and officials from the National Consumer Commission.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases was requested to conduct scientific tests and has established that the deaths of the six children in Naledi, North West province, can be directly attributed to a highly hazardous chemical used as a pesticide known as Terbufos.

The President said few words can adequately convey the sadness and pain of the nation.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families as they go through the pain and the anguish of losing their children. Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to endure,” he said. “The SAPS and other law enforcement agencies will be required to investigate, arrest and prosecute offenders. This will involve close cooperation with all registered manufacturers and suppliers.”

Integrated multidisciplinary inspection teams will undertake compliance inspections of food handling facilities, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. This will include spaza shops and general dealers. A massive campaign of door-to-door inspections of all spaza shops, tuck shops and other informal traders will be undertaken, starting with KZN and Gauteng, the President said.

This will be undertaken by inter-disciplinary inspections teams consisting of the South African Military Health Services, environmental health practitioners, the SAPS, the National Consumer Council, labour inspectors and others.

The President emphasised that the initial phase of inspections will need be completed within a month. Registered manufacturers and distributors of Terbufos will also be scrutinised to ensure compliance and prevent misuse. The supply chain for hazardous chemicals will face tighter regulations, including strengthened protocols for traceability, repackaging, and disposal.

“All registered manufacturers of Terbufos will be inspected to ensure that no products are diverted into the non-agricultural market. The supply chain process for distribution and sale of Terbufos will be investigated to ensure that controls are being adhered to and that there is accountability for who they sell to,” said President Ramaphosa.

He emphasised that regulations and protocols on the traceability, repackaging, destruction and sale of pesticides, insecticides and foodstuffs will be strengthened.

Turning to the second intervention on the protection of children from exposure to harmful substances, the President announced that the Department of Basic Education will immediately issue a circular to Provincial Education Departments and all schools on best practice protocols for preventing and managing food-borne illnesses within schools.

The third intervention, which is aimed at preventing future outbreaks, is that the President has directed that joint operational and intelligence structures be established at a national and provincial level to deal with the crisis.

“Our local municipalities will be required to take urgent action to address the problem of rat infestations by cleaning cities and towns and removing waste. All municipal landfill sites will be required to comply with the National Environmental Management Waste Act. Failure to comply will result in strict sanctions that include directives, compliance notices and criminal enforcement,” he said.

The President said a Ministerial Health Advisory Committee was being established to develop medium- and long-term prevention measures. This committee will consist of experts such as toxicologists, paediatricians, chemical pathologists, epidemiologists, forensic pathologists and others.

“All deaths of patients 12 years and below will be made notifiable in the Notifiable Medical Condition Surveillance System. An electronic medical certification of death system will be established to allow the National Department of Health to access cause of death information immediately after a death is certified,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa added that the work of the Biosecurity Hub will be strengthened to better control the entry of products, organisms and harmful biological products at ports of entry. The Department of Agriculture is in the process of reviewing and updating all relevant legislation with respect to the regulation and authorisation of agricultural pesticides for use in South Africa.

“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,” the President added.

He further stated that as government undertakes these interventions and measures there is a lot that parents can do to protect their children.