KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli recently launched an initiative to combat tragic deaths from child food poisoning in the region. The move follows a series of alarming cases, including in Giyani, where many children were hospitalised after consuming potentially contaminated food provided as part of their school’s nutrition programme.
Ntuli stressed the importance of conducting regular inspections of spaza shops and monitoring borders to combat illicit food trafficking. The strategy aims to ensure that local grocery stores comply with food safety standards, while educating consumers on good food practices, signs of food spoilage and how to report unsafe practices.
The KwaZulu-Natal government plans to provide training on good food safety practices, including food handling, storage and cooking, to spaza shop owners and staff. Resources such as handwashing stations, refrigeration units and safe food storage solutions will also be made available, in partnership with NGOs to promote best practices and support neighbourhood grocery stores.
This comes as many children across the country are falling ill after consuming contaminated food. Incidents have been reported in several provinces, highlighting the need for tighter monitoring of school nutrition programmes. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said that since the beginning of the year, 441 cases of food contamination have been recorded in the province, resulting in 23 deaths.
The national government has declared the crisis a national security threat and the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure is leading the response. President Cyril Ramaphosa will speak on the matter shortly, while the Department of Health is working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases to identify the sources of the poisoned food.
The KwaZulu-Natal government has pledged to step up operations against undocumented foreigners operating spaza shops to verify the quality of the products being sold. This is intended to protect the population without encouraging vigilantism.
In conclusion, Thami Ntuli’s initiative aims to improve food security in the region and protect the health of children. It is essential to put in place effective measures to prevent further tragedies and ensure a safe food environment for all.