How is the government addressing food poisoning incidents?

Recent cases of suspected food poisoning affecting children have raised concerns across the country, prompting many to ask what actions the government is taking to tackle the problem.

The Department of Health (DoH) has rejected claims that the government is overlooking the issue. It stated that they are now considering the recent increase in deaths as a matter of national security.

Recent incidents a national threat

According to the DoH, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) is currently treating the recent outbreak of deaths as a national security threat.

The DoH stated that the recent cases of suspected food poisoning in black communities have created a misleading belief that the government is ignoring the problem.

Those affected have concluded that these sudden deaths, especially among school children, were because of food poisoning emanating from foodstuff, particularly snacks, sold by foreign-owned spaza shops.

“Last week, NATJOINTS met to analyse this situation and after careful analysis, recommended that the Department of Health should coordinate all these investigations involving various institutions and bodies because in the final analysis, whatever is happening eventually leads to ill-health or even death.”
South African Government News Agency

Is anyone investigating these incidents?

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has involved the National Institute of Communicable Disease to assist in food-related incidents that have affected learners.

Additionally, detectives from the South African Police Service (SAPS) have been investigating the incidents. They are focussing on the cases involving child fatalities, like the situation in Naledi, Soweto.

The Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni municipalities have assigned their environmental inspectors to look into the suspected food poisoning cases. The Environmental Directorate has also dispatched inspectors to ensure that people are following health regulations.

Furthermore, the Department of Agriculture has gotten involved. It has dispatched officials to investigate whether the issue could be coming from their products or due to non-compliance with certain production regulations.

The government has concluded that they are dealing with a chemical agent as the cause of the illness.

What are the government’s next steps?

The government stated that a comprehensive search plan is now in effect. The plan aims to identify the source of the issue, with efforts set to ramp up in the upcoming weeks.

This plan involves deploying 80 health inspectors from the National Department of Health and the City of Johannesburg. Additionally, teams from SAPS, Agriculture, and the NCC, who have already been trained by the NICD and equipped with the right tools, will join the effort. These teams will operate under the direct oversight of the NICD.