By: Thabisile Miya

Recent food poisoning cases should remind us that the industry’s claws, greed, and incompetence continue to jeopardize our safety. The 2018 listeriosis outbreak, which claimed over 209 lives, is a tragic reminder of this reality. The families of the victims are demanding justice from Tiger Brands, South Africa’s largest food and beverage company. Recent evidence suggests the company was likely accountable for the outbreak, mainly spread through their polony products.

Six years later, there have been sporadic reports of food poisoning across different parts of the country, with some victims tragically succumbing to their injuries, while others requiring hospitalization. The Gauteng Department of Health has recorded approximately 207 cases, with 10 children unfortunately losing their lives as a result. Only after a significant number of deaths were recorded, was an investigation launched. Last year, there were also cases of children being hospitalized due to rat poisoning. In October alone, the Gauteng Department of Health reported around 863 instances of food-borne illnesses before the issue escalated to a national concern.

The government has faced significant scrutiny for its slow response in launching a comprehensive investigation into these cases. The delay has fueled much speculation surrounding migrant shop owners, but such narratives primarily serve private interests. In the Naledi poisoning case, which resulted in the deaths of six children, evidence from the National Department of Health indicates that the chemical organophosphate found in pesticides was responsible for their deaths.

A new set of bylaws drafted by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) have been gazetted, implementing mitigating measures. These rules provide a framework for regulating spaza shops and informal traders in townships and imposing penalties for violators. Notwithstanding, in the previous week, the Gauteng Department of Basic Education banned all food trading in and out of schools – this will have dire consequences, especially for informal traders.

Furthermore, while much of our attention has been focused on food poisoning cases in other parts of the country and mitigating measures – a damning report released by Amambhungane, the Centre for investigative journalism, details shocking pesticide presence and infiltration.

What are pesticides and why should we care?

Pesticides are substances or mixtures of substances intended to prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate pests. In 2022, the Department of Agriculture announced that it would ban certain highly hazardous pesticides by the 1st of June 2024. Some of these pesticides are already banned in the European Union. Despite this, the most dangerous of these pesticides remain widely used on commercial farms and in the informal market. High levels of pesticides can cause respiratory problems, skin irritations, genetic mutations, cancer, reproductive system damage, and even death.

Women farm workers organizing under the Women on Farms project have long raised concerns about the presence of highly toxic and deadly chemicals. Many of these workers have experienced adverse health effects from pesticide exposure, significantly impairing their well-being.

The manufacturers of these toxic chemicals have resisted efforts to ban and phase them out. Regulations have been tightened to ensure that all identified toxic substances are clearly labelled although phased-out chemicals can be found in the informal market. Brands like Rattex, Rodex and Scientific  Supa-Kill argue that banning these products could lead to a public health crisis.

As a result of the informal economy and lack of oversight, pesticides used for agricultural purposes, such as organophosphates, are mixed with other chemicals for pest control, and this has a huge market in townships where adequate service delivery is lacking and rats and cockroaches are known to be prevalent.

We have seen that food-borne illnesses pose a serious health threat. As we await the detailed correlation between pesticides and food control, it is critical that we also address industry and manufacturers of these chemicals for accountability and heed the calls for greater regulation.

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Sources:

Listeriosis tragedy breakthrough evidence makes overwhelming case Tiger Brands was responsible –  lawyers by Tamsin Meterlerkamp for the Daily Maverick. 08 September 2024. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-08-listeriosis-outbreak-evidence-makes-case-tiger-brands-was-responsible-lawyers/

South African authorities search for source of food poisoning. By Joe Whitworth for Food Safety News. 23 October 2024. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/10/south-african-authorities-search-for-source-of-food-poisoning/

Gauteng Health on alarming rise in incidents of food poisoning. South African Government. 16 April 2024. https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/gauteng-health-alarming-rise-incidents-food-poisoning-16-apr-2024

New by-laws for spaza shops by Koena Mashele for Sowetan Live. 11 November 2024. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2024-11-11-new-by-laws-for-spaza-shops/

The 346 pesticides in SA that cause cancer, birth defects or worse, and the fight to keep them by Susan Comrie and Onke Ngcuka for the Daily Maverick. 30 October 2024. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-10-30-the-346-pesticides-in-sa-that-cause-cancer-birth-defects-or-worse-and-the-fight-to-keep-them/

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About the author:

Thabisile Miya is a member of the ACTIVATE! Change Drivers Writers Hub, works in the NGO space, is passionate about digital advocacy and writes to make sense of the world.