Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that police have arrested four suspects believed to be behind the food poisoning incident in Gauteng.
During a media briefing, Motsoaledi announced that health officials have identified a chemical linked to the suspected cases of food poisoning.
The ANC is holding a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. The meeting focuses on the party's renewal, integrity committee reports, and strengthening organisational structures to enhance service delivery and address key national issues.
Motsoaledi said that the recent food poisoning cases have been declared a national security threat. His statement follows incidents that resulted in the tragic deaths of children and several hospitalisations in provinces such as Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The minister raised concerns about the presence of harmful substances in food distributed through the school feeding scheme. He assured the public that authorities are committed to thoroughly investigating the root causes of these incidents.
Earlier this month, six children in Soweto died after consuming suspected tainted treats from a spaza shop. Community concerns have since mounted, with foreign-owned spaza shops in townships being accused of selling unsafe and expired food products.
Motsoaledi confirmed that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is investigating the surge in suspected food poisoning cases. Health inspectors have also assessed 84 spaza shops in Soweto, where they discovered an undisclosed chemical. Officials seized over 1,456 grams (about 1.5 kg) of the substance.
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