Ramaphosa to adress the nation amid rise in food poisoning cases

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation this week on the government’s interventions to deal with the rise in foodborne illnesses and fatalities that have been plaguing the country.

Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday, Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said Cabinet has been briefed on the foodborne illnesses and fatalities recorded in parts of the country.

Ntshaveni added that the president would address the nation following a detailed meeting with the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster and the Interministerial Committee on Disaster Management on the interventions that are being taken to address the issue.

Concerns about the recent suspected food poisoning cases grew after several people, including children, lost their lives, with others being hospitalised in various incidents in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and recently in the Western Cape.

“In the meantime, the Department of Health has activated the National Institute of Communicable Diseases to (NICD) to trace and examine the source of the poisoning of foodstuffs and make recommendations,” Ntshavheni said.

The Minister said the address would happen on a date yet to be confirmed but presumably this week.

Recently, health officials determined that Terbufos, a highly toxic chemical organophosphate, was the cause of death of six children in Naledi, Soweto, after they ate snacks bought from a local spaza shop.

During the briefing, Ntshavheni noted that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, supported by the Department of Small Business Development and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Disaster Management, gazetted the Standard Draft By-laws for Township Economies.

“This is aimed at mobilising municipalities around a common agenda and collective responses towards inclusive local economies and curbing illegal business operations in townships.”

Ntshaveni has also debunked reports that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to spaza shops across the country to facilitate to conduct health and safety inspections.

“As the overall committee responsible for the NATJOINTS work, there is no discussion of deploying the military to spaza shops.”

Ntshaveni added that the work that is currently being done by the committee and the JCS is enough to address the issue.

Ntshavheni confirmed that the Joint Planning Committee for Security is meeting to finalise issues in preparation for the President’s upcoming address.