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As part of measures to address the incidents of food-borne illnesses, government is to launch a public education campaign aimed at children, parents, caregivers and the broader community on food safety and the identification, handling and storage of dangerous chemicals.

Speaking during a national address on the deaths of children due to food-borne illnesses, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the campaign will involve the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), government departments and agencies, industry organisations and civil society formations.

“This will be complemented by a public education campaign aimed at communities, spaza shops, tuck shops, informal traders and other retailers on health, safety and hygiene regulations, the identification of hazardous products, regulations that apply to hazardous products and legal consequences,” the President said. 

This is part of various interventions aimed at protecting children from exposure to harmful substances. 

The President said 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.

He announced that by the start of the new school year, the Department of Basic Education, in collaboration with School Governing Bodies and the Department of Health, will review and update guidelines for managing food suppliers to public schools. 

This review will also cover the operation of tuck shops within school premises.

“The Ministers of Basic Education and Health and other government departments will classify certain pesticides and insecticides not suitable for home use as “dangerous objects” that may not be brought or used on school premises. This will be undertaken in terms of the Regulations on Safety Measures for Public Schools,” the President said. 

Crackdown on hazardous chemicals

Investigations into the recent incidents revealed that chemicals like Terbufos, an agricultural pesticide, were being informally sold in townships as a low-cost rat control solution. 

“Terbufos is an organophosphate chemical that is registered in South Africa for agricultural use. It is not allowed to be sold for general 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,” the President said.

Testing confirmed that Terbufos was present in samples taken from spaza shops and in food packaging linked to the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto. 

“Samples were taken from 84 spaza shops in the Naledi area. Of these, three had evidence of Terbufos. After stringent testing, a chip packet found on one of the children who had died had traces of Terbufos on both the inside and the outside of the packet. 

“As part of the investigation into the Naledi deaths, inspectors confiscated a number of illegal pesticides from spaza shops,” he said. 

The President said the unregulated sale of pesticides like Aldicarb, banned since 2016, and other illegal substances remains a growing problem. 

In addition to confiscating illegal products, inspectors found improper food storage practices in some spaza shops, where food was stored alongside pesticides and detergents.

“The unregulated use of restricted pesticides in communities has become a growing problem, with devastating consequences. In many townships another chemical, Aldicarb, and an organophosphate known as Galephirimi are commonly sold by street vendors and hawkers to control rat infestations,” said the President. 

Addressing root causes

The President acknowledged that rat infestations, driven by poor waste management in many municipalities, contribute to the demand for hazardous chemicals. 

“In responding to these tragedies, we need to understand the cause of this challenge in our communities. One of the reasons that people use pesticides is to deal with rat infestation.

“The problem of rat infestation is due in part 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.

“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,”  he said.

The President said another challenge was that environmental health was the responsibility of local government.

“Many municipalities do not have the capacity and resources to conduct inspections of these businesses and enforce regulations. Our response must therefore address all the factors that contribute to the problem,” he said. 

Preventing misinformation

The President emphasised the importance of preventing the spread of misinformation, clarifying that investigations have found no evidence of a deliberate campaign to poison children.

He stated that the issue was not limited to spaza shops owned by foreign nationals, as these hazardous products were equally likely to be sold in shops owned by South Africans.

“The investigations that have taken place do not suggest any deliberate campaign to poison children in our country. There is also no evidence that the problem is confined to spaza shops owned by foreign nationals only. These products are just as likely to be sold in shops owned by South Africans.

“We all have a duty – as the State, as a society, as parents and families – to protect those among us who are most vulnerable,” the President said. 

Working together to end the crisis

The President emphasised the need for collective action by being informed, vigilant, responsible and protecting children while preventing these tragedies.

“As consumers and parents, if we buy food or send our children to buy food, it must only be from places that are licensed to sell foodstuffs and that observe food safety regulations. We must check that food is prepared in a clean and hygienic area.

“We must make sure that foodstuffs being sold have clear branding and labels, and that they are not past their sell-by date. We must educate our children about food safety and teach them to check for this labelling themselves,” the President said. 

The President urged anyone who saw fake foodstuffs and expired foodstuffs being sold in communities to report them to the National Consumer Commission. The number for the National Consumer Commission is 012 065 1940.

The President called for responsible handling and storage of pesticides and dangerous chemicals, emphasising that only properly labelled products in original containers meant for household use should be purchased. Dangerous chemicals must be kept out of children's reach.

Spaza shops and street vendors are urged to adhere to the law, avoid mixing food with chemical substances, and sell only legally registered pesticides. Establishments violating these rules will face legal consequences, he said.

He urged South Africans to work together, remain informed, and take responsibility to protect vulnerable communities, particularly children. 

“Once again, South Africans are called upon to work together to overcome a great difficulty. But we are far from helpless. There is much we can do.

“Each of us needs to be better informed about the risks of pesticides and other dangerous products. By working together, by enforcing the law, by being alert and responsible, we will be able to bring an end to these tragedies,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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