Ramaphosa Orders Immediate Closure Of Spaza Shops Linked To Child Deaths

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Friday evening regarding the government’s response to the recurring instances of food-borne illnesses, which have claimed the lives of several children.

“Each of us needs to take responsibility for the safety and well-being of those around us, particularly the children of our nation. By working together, by enforcing the law, by being alert and responsible, we will be able to bring an end to these tragedies,” said Ramaphosa. He extended his condolences to the families of those who died.

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Collective Effort

“Once again, South Africans are called upon to work together to overcome a great difficulty. We are far from being helpless, and there is much we can do,” Ramaphosa stated. He emphasized that spaza shops and street vendors have a special responsibility for the health and safety of their customers and must operate responsibly and in accordance with the law, observing basic food safety practices.

Ramaphosa urged parents to protect their children by buying food only from licensed places and ensuring that food is prepared in a clean environment. He stressed the importance of checking labels and educating children about food safety. “We must only buy pesticides that are in their original containers and that are clearly labelled for household use. All dangerous chemicals must be kept out of reach of children,” he added.

Government Interventions

A joint fund of R500 million will be established by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and Small Business Development to assist small businesses. All deaths of patients below 12 years will be made notifiable, and an electronic certification of death will be established. The work of the biosecurity hub will be strengthened.

Local municipalities must take urgent steps to address rat infestations, and all landfills must comply with standards, with non-compliance being punished. The Ministers of Basic Education and Health will classify certain chemicals that may not be brought or used on school premises. A public education campaign on food safety and the storage of dangerous chemicals will be launched.

The Department of Basic Education will immediately issue a circular to provinces on best practices to manage food-borne illnesses. The initial phase of inspections must be completed within a month. Non-compliant businesses and shops linked to poisons will be closed, and a mass inspection of spaza shops and tuck shops will be undertaken, starting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

All shops must register within 21 days, and those that do not register and meet health standards will be closed. Spaza shops implicated in the deaths of children must be closed with immediate effect.

Ramaphosa Addresses Illegal Pesticides

Following a special Cabinet meeting, the first intervention is to remove illegal pesticides from the shelves and keep them away from children. Ramaphosa stated that there is no evidence of a deliberate campaign to poison children, nor is there evidence that it is only shops with foreign owners. He acknowledged that local health is the responsibility of local government, but many municipalities lack the resources to conduct inspections.

Ramaphosa noted that another pesticide, banned for use in South Africa in 2016, is still sold on the streets, and three children died last year because of this substance. He emphasized that this issue is not confined to spaza shops and informal traders, stating, “It seems to be widespread.”

Three of six tested shops in Naledi had traces of the chemical, and inspectors confiscated a number of illegal pesticides from shops, finding instances where food was stored next to pesticides.

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases established that the deaths were attributed to a highly toxic chemical, a pesticide intended for agricultural use but sold to control rats. “Our people have every right to be upset and to be angry in the face of such tragedies,” said Ramaphosa.

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He called for the country to work together to end these deaths, noting that multi-disciplinary government teams, including police, health inspectors, and consumer inspectors, were activated as soon as the deaths occurred. Cabinet met three times to receive reports.

Ramaphosa highlighted that the youngest child who died in the incident at Naledi, Soweto, was only six years old. “Losing a child is something no parent should have to go through,” he said. He reported that there have been 890 incidents of food-borne illnesses, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal being the most affected, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 children.

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