South Africa faces a troubling surge in food poisoning cases among school children, prompting community outrage and government intervention. Picture: Pexels/Tima Miroshnichenko
Not a week goes past without school children being rushed to hospital for food poisoning.
It’s become a scourge sweeping across all provinces. Since September, almost 900 children have become victims of food- borne illnesses. Sadly, 22 children have succumbed to food poisoning. Such a waste of life.
Tensions rose in Soweto as community members, angry at the death of five of their children suspected of eating contaminated chips, went on the rampage, looting and closing down several foreign- owned spaza shops. Police had their hands full trying to calm the angry residents.
In several instances police and health inspectors could be seen raiding unlicensed spaza shops in the townships and removing foodstuffs and cool drinks long passed their sell-by- date. Still there was no word yet from government.
Only last week Gauteng, the province with the highest incidence of food poisoning, approved new by-laws and stricter legislation to control and monitor tuck shops. And then, at last, President Cyril Ramaphosa made an appearance, addressing the nation on the issue of food poisoning. He said all tuck shops implicated in the deaths of children must close down immediately. He also wanted all spaza shops to be re-registered within 21 days, which seems unrealistic considering the vast number of spaza shops in the country
Well, the government has acted. But the big question is why let things get out of control and then act? The same happened at Eskom, Transnet and various SOE’s. We saw the lethargic re-action from government when dozens of trucks were burnt on our roads and the looting and destruction of shops and malls in the 2021 riots. Now again, government has been caught flat- footed.
Tuck shops have been operating for decades in the townships without any incidents of food poisoning.
Why suddenly now? What are the municipal health officials doing? Topping up their big, fat salaries with bribes from the unregistered tuck shop owners? Something is badly rotten in our country.
T Markandan | Kloof
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media or IOL.
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