Gauteng: Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has expressed concern over the inadequate food safety standards at certain spaza shops located in Ekurhuleni townships. The MEC’s remarks came in the wake of a food safety inspection conducted in collaboration with City of Ekurhuleni officials and local councillors, prompted by recent incidents of fatal poisoning and illnesses among children who consumed snacks from local spaza shops across the country.

According to South African Government News Agency, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced that forensic investigations revealed the deaths of six primary school children from Naledi, Soweto, were caused by Terbufos, a highly toxic organophosphate. These children, aged between six and nine, allegedly consumed snacks from a foreign-owned spaza shop that were contaminated with the lethal pesticide. Following these tragic events, Nkomo-Ralehoko, part of an interdepartmental team, emphasized the need to educate the public on food safety and
ensure local businesses adhere to food safety standards to protect public health.

During the inspection, officials confiscated various items from a shop illegally occupying municipal land in Alra Park, including spices, snacks, expired sour milk, and meat. Nkomo-Ralehoko stated that the shop would be closed to enforce proper procedures and channels, warning that it should not reopen for illegal trading, even suggesting that municipal authorities might have to demolish it. The MEC also mentioned plans to involve the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) after discovering the sale of unauthorized medication at the shop.

The government has responded to accusations of neglect in addressing child deaths from suspected food poisoning. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) is treating these incidents as a national security threat, countering the perception that authorities are indifferent to the issue. The Health Minister has engaged the National Institute of C
ommunicable Diseases (NICD) to assist with these cases. Inspectors from the Department of Health, along with teams from the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Agriculture, and the National Consumer Commission (NCC), are working under NICD’s supervision to address the situation.