PRETORIA, Nov 17 (NNN-SANEWS) — As part of measures to address the incidents of food-borne illnesses, government is to launch a public education campaign aimed at children, parents, caregivers and the broader community on food safety and the identification, handling and storage of dangerous chemicals.
Speaking during a national address on the deaths of children due to food-borne illnesses, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the campaign will involve the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), government departments and agencies, industry organisations and civil society formations.
“This will be complemented by a public education campaign aimed at communities, spaza shops, tuck shops, informal traders and other retailers on health, safety and hygiene regulations, the identification of hazardous products, regulations that apply to hazardous products and legal consequences,” the President said.
This is part of various interventions aimed at protecting children from exposure to harmful substances.
The President said the Department of Basic Education will immediately issue a circular to Provincial Education Departments and all schools on best practice protocols for preventing and managing food-borne illnesses within schools.
He announced that by the start of the new school year, the Department of Basic Education, in collaboration with School Governing Bodies and the Department of Health, will review and update guidelines for managing food suppliers to public schools.
This review will also cover the operation of tuck shops within school premises.
“The Ministers of Basic Education and Health and other government departments will classify certain pesticides and insecticides not suitable for home use as “dangerous objects” that may not be brought or used on school premises. This will be undertaken in terms of the Regulations on Safety Measures for Public Schools,” the President said.
Investigations into the recent incidents revealed that chemicals like Terbufos, an agricultural pesticide, were being informally sold in townships as a low-cost rat control solution.
“Terbufos is an organophosphate chemical that is registered in South Africa for agricultural use. It is not allowed to be sold for general household use. However, Terbufos is being informally sold as a so-called ‘street pesticide’ for domestic use in townships and informal settlements to control rats,” the President said.
Testing confirmed that Terbufos was present in samples taken from spaza shops and in food packaging linked to the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto.
The President acknowledged that rat infestations, driven by poor waste management in many municipalities, contribute to the demand for hazardous chemicals.
Spaza shops and street vendors are urged to adhere to the law, avoid mixing food with chemical substances, and sell only legally registered pesticides. Establishments violating these rules will face legal consequences, he said. — NNN-SANEWS
