South Africa announces measures after 22 children were recently killed from food poisoning

​​​​​​​By Hassan Isilow

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered the removal Friday of hazardous pesticides off the streets and shops as one of the measures to curb food poisoning which recently killed 22 children.

“Since the beginning of September 2024, there have been a total of 890 reported incidents of food-borne illnesses across all provinces,’’ Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation to address the recent deaths of children caused by food poisoning which has caused concern across the nation.

Ramaphosa said several people have become severely ill and even died after eating contaminated food that could have been purchased from spaza shops -- small informal shops -- and street vendors.

South Africa recorded a major poisoning incident in Naledi, Soweto township near Johannesburg last month, where six children died after buying snacks at spaza shops. The youngest was just 6 years old.

Ramaphosa said after scientific tests were conducted it was established that the deaths of the six children could be directly attributed to a highly hazardous chemical used as a pesticide known as Terbufos.

Terbufos, registered in South Africa for agricultural use, is said to have serious health effects, even at low levels of exposure.

Ramaphosa said although Terbufos is not allowed to be sold for general household use it is being informally sold as a so-called “street pesticide” for domestic use in townships and informal settlements to control rats.

He said samples from 84 spaza shops in the Naledi area of Soweto showed three shops had evidence of Terbufos.

It was also found that in some spaza shops pesticides and detergents were being stored next to food items.

Ramaphosa said the spaza shops that have been implicated in the deaths of the children will be closed immediately.

He also ordered all spaza shops and other food handling facilities to be registered within the municipalities in which they operate within 21 days and they should meet all health standards and requirements or they will be closed.