Spaza shop owners in Naledi, Soweto have voiced frustration with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 21-day deadline for registering their tuck shops, and are demanding an extension of four months amid the scourge of food poisoning cases.
This follows a surge in food-borne illness that has hit the country and claimed the lives of 22 children.
During his address on Friday, Ramaphosa said since September, there have been a total of 890 reported incidents of food-borne illness across the country.
He said Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have been the most affected, while Limpopo, Free State and Mpumalanga also recorded dozens of incidents.
Naledi, in Soweto, is one of the most tragic, where six children died after eating contaminated snacks bought from an unregistered spaza shop owned by an illegal foreigner.
According to Ramaphosa, the deaths of the six children in Naledi, Soweto were linked to a highly hazardous chemical pesticide, known as Terbufos by the the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
In addition, Ramaphosa has said that the use of hazardous pesticides have been linked to last year’s deaths, where three children in Ekurhuleni and three children in Soweto died after exposure to Aldicarb.
“Terbufos is an organophosphate chemical that is registered in South Africa for agricultural use and It is not allowed to be sold for general household use,” he said.
Ramaphosa said poor waste management in areas such as Soweto, contributes to pest infestation, which results in locals using cheap but highly hazardous remedies, such as Terbufos and Aldicarb.
”Aldicarb has been banned for use in South Africa since 2016,” said Ramaphosa.
In response to the scourge of poisoning cases, Ramaphosa announced a three-pronged plan to tackle the issue.
“All spaza shops implicated in children's death will be closed immediately,” he said.
"The first intervention is to get hazardous pesticides off the street. The second critical intervention is to protect children from exposure to these substances. The third critical intervention is to prevent future outbreaks," Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa said inspections will also be carried out in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, two of the provinces hardest hit by incidents.
He added that police and other law enforcement agencies will be required to investigate, arrest and prosecute offenders.
This will involve close cooperation with all registered manufacturers and suppliers.
But, spaza shop owners in Naledi, Soweto blasted the 21-day registration deadline, arguing that is insufficient.
One of those, was Tshidi Seloko who expressed that Ramaphosa’s deadline was unrealistic for many shop owners.
“He was supposed to give us four months, not 21 days. Many shop owners don’t have money to travel to the municipal office to register as they rely on the money they made after selling their products,” Seloko told IOL News.
Seloko called on Ramaphosa to extend the registration period to be able to accommodate those who are facing financial hardships.
Another spaza shop owner from the same area, Lehlogonolo Maphoka, slammed Ramaphosa's address and called for an extension.
”The measures will not reduce food poisoning but the whole supply chain must be inspected and regulated,” Maphoka told IOL News.
Maphoka said the 21-days is sufficient, stating that they constantly encounter delays and difficulties with the municipal processes.
”The 21 days deadline is not enough, as it takes about six to 12 months to get a normal consent from town planning. The town planning department should consider issuing special permits while waiting for the outcome of the consent application,” Maphoka said.
IOL News