Crackdown on Spaza Shops: President Ramaphosa Enforces Strict Measures to Ensure Food Safety

President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled a series of urgent measures aimed at addressing the public health crisis linked to hazardous pesticides and unsafe food handling, following the tragic deaths of children allegedly caused by contaminated products sold at spaza shops.

These measures aim to restore trust in food safety standards and eliminate the risks posed by hazardous chemicals in informal and formal food markets.

Key Measures Announced:

Closure of Non-Compliant Spaza Shops:

• • Shops implicated in recent poisoning incidents will be closed immediately.
  • All spaza shops and food-handling facilities must register with their local municipalities within 21 days. Non-compliant establishments will be shut down.

Enhanced Law Enforcement:

• • The South African Police Service and law enforcement agencies will investigate, arrest, and prosecute offenders.
  • Registered manufacturers and suppliers will cooperate to track hazardous pesticides and chemicals.

Compliance Inspections:

• • Multidisciplinary teams will inspect food-handling facilities, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers for compliance.
  • Businesses linked to poisoning or stocking hazardous chemicals unlawfully will face immediate closure.

Door-to-Door Inspections:

• • Inspections will target spaza shops, tuck shops, and informal traders, beginning in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
  • Teams will include the South African Military Health Services, environmental health practitioners, police, and consumer watchdogs.

Regulating Pesticide Supply Chains:

• • All registered manufacturers of Terbufos, a hazardous pesticide, will be inspected to prevent diversion into non-agricultural markets.
  • The supply chain will be scrutinized to ensure accountability and adherence to distribution protocols.

Strengthening Regulations:

• • New protocols will enhance traceability, repackaging, destruction, and sale of pesticides, insecticides, and food products.

Timeline for Action: The initial phase of inspections is set to be completed within one month. President Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of collective accountability to ensure public health and safety.

Non-compliant businesses and shops linked to any poisoning incidents or found to unlawfully stock hazardous chemicals will be shut down.

– A massive campaign of door-to-door inspection of all spaza shops, tuck shops and other informal traders will be undertaken, starting with…

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 15, 2024