Johannesburg: The Department of Agriculture will, in the next few days, conduct inspections at all five registered manufacturers of Terbufos to ascertain controls, and to determine if markers are put into locally produced products to distinguish between illegally imported and locally produced chemicals. This follows the death of at least 22 people, including children, with many others hospitalised due to chemical poisoning from food. Ministers leading the multidisciplinary teams in government, who are responsible for the national response to instances of foodborne illnesses, held a media briefing on Thursday to outline government’s action plan to manage foodborne illnesses.

According to South African Government News Agency, speaking at the briefing, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said there are only five manufacturers of the pesticide Terbufos in South Africa, and the department intends to engage with them on the measures they have in place to protect the supply chain, and to make sure that the end us
e is legitimate. Steenhuisen said the department is also waiting for independent laboratory results of samples taken during the inspection of spaza shops in Gauteng to see if there is a potential match in South African products.

‘It is the department’s view that the Terbufos found in Gauteng does not emanate from one of the five South African producers but comes instead from across South Africa’s borders. Another substance was found in spaza shops that was banned for production and sale in South Africa in 2016. These discoveries indicate that there is a supply chain coming from [outside the country]. However, the department is waiting for the independent laboratory results and the interactions with the five manufacturers to understand exactly where these substances are coming from and how the department can stop them coming into South Africa, if this proves to be the case,’ Steenhuisen said.

The Minister said the department will also strengthen the work of the biosecurity efforts to support the control of t
he entry of products, organisms, and other harmful biological products at the ports of entry. ‘Biosecurity is something which is being declared a major priority of the department, and it is one of the 70 priorities we identified in our annual performance plan, and we hope to invest the support of all South Africans, as we make biosecurity everybody’s responsibility,’ the Minister said.

The inspections by the Department of Agriculture will be complemented by the nationwide cleanup campaigns, which have already kicked off in Gauteng and will be rolled out to other hotspot areas and the entire country.