The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are urgently calling for government intervention to address the devastating food poisoning crisis that has claimed the lives of innocent children and left many more hospitalised, highlighting failures in food safety oversight and the ongoing sale of unsafe, contaminated food products by spaza shops and vendors.
The DA is particularly concerned about the severe shortage of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs), who are responsible for food safety inspections. Meanwhile, the EFF is alarmed by the government’s sluggish response and the ongoing sale of unsafe and expired food products by spaza shops and vendors.
The tragic deaths, including that of a child in Alexandra and the hospitalisation of 48 pupils from Daluvuyo Primary School in Welkom, highlight the critical failures in the country’s food safety systems. These incidents are part of a broader problem involving food vendors and spaza shops that continue to sell contaminated food, putting public health at great risk.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has expressed deep concern about the severe shortage of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs), who are responsible for ensuring food safety standards are met by food vendors and spaza shop owners.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and South Africa’s National Environmental Health Policy, there should be one EHP for every 10,000 people. However, South Africa currently only has 1,712 EHPs, far below the required number of 6,203.
This shortage has left many communities, particularly those in densely populated and high-risk areas, without adequate protection against unsafe food handling.
Dr Karl le Roux, DA deputy spokesperson on Health, emphasised the gravity of the situation, stating, "This crisis is a damning indictment of governance that has allowed health and safety inspections to collapse over the years, failing our children and the public at large.
‘’Unless we address these underlying issues, food poisoning incidents will almost certainly become more frequent, posing a constant threat to vulnerable populations, particularly young children."
Le Roux called for urgent measures, including rigorous, unannounced inspections of vendors and spaza shops, the establishment of enforceable food safety standards, and the creation of training programs for informal food handlers to minimise the risk of contamination.
He further stressed the need to recruit and deploy more EHPs, particularly in high-density areas, to safeguard public health.
The EFF also voiced concern over the ongoing escalation of food poisoning incidents.
The party pointed to the disturbing report from the Premier of Gauteng, who revealed that since January, the province has dealt with 441 reported cases of food-borne illness among schoolchildren, which resulted in 23 tragic deaths.
The EFF criticised the government’s sluggish response, which has allowed spaza shops and vendors to continue selling unsafe and expired food products without the necessary inspections.
Leigh-Ann Mathys, EFF spokesperson, condemned the government’s failure to address the issue adequately, stating, "What we face here is not just a series of tragic incidents, but a systematic failure to safeguard the health of the poorest and most vulnerable South Africans, who rely on these outlets due to their affordability and accessibility."
The EFF also highlighted the absence of an emergency response framework in the food industry that would allow for the rapid tracking and monitoring of tainted food products.
"It is unacceptable that in this day and age, our systems do not allow for efficient tracing of tainted food, meaning contaminated items remain in circulation and continue to pose a threat," Mathys said.
The party is calling for a robust, real-time monitoring system that can swiftly identify and remove hazardous products from the market.
Furthermore, the EFF cautioned against scape-goating immigrants in the food safety crisis. While re-registration of spaza shops and enforcement of by-laws are important, the party stressed that the underlying issues with South Africa’s food safety and regulatory systems must be addressed, regardless of whether the businesses are operated by South Africans or foreign nationals.
"All businesses must adhere to health standards, and it is the government’s responsibility to enforce these standards," Mathys said.
Recent inspections by the National Consumer Commission revealed a concerning level of non-compliance in spaza shops and tuck shops, including the sale of expired products, unlabelled items, and goods with instructions in foreign languages. These conditions, particularly for baby food and snacks, put consumers, especially children, at risk.
Despite the government’s declaration of a national disaster due to the food poisoning crisis, the response has been insufficient. As the DA and EFF have pointed out, inspections are not happening at the pace required to protect vulnerable communities.
"The sale of expired and unlabelled products, especially baby food and snacks, is a blatant disregard for human health and safety that cannot be tolerated," Mathys said.
The DA has called for a series of immediate actions, including:
The implementation of rigorous, unannounced inspections of food vendors and spaza shops.
The establishment of enforceable food safety standards.
The creation of training programs for informal food handlers to minimise the risk of contamination and food-borne illnesses.
The recruitment and deployment of more EHPs to high-risk areas.
Meanwhile, the EFF recommends intensified inspections of all food outlets, the establishment of an emergency task force to track and recall unsafe food products, and thorough investigations into the criminal syndicates responsible for supplying tainted food.
The EFF also called for a public awareness campaign in collaboration with community leaders to educate South Africans on food safety and how to identify potentially dangerous products.
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