City
Epaper

South African President orders immediate closure of tuck shops linked to food poisoning cases

By IANS | Updated: November 16, 2024 14:30 IST

Johannesburg, Nov 16 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the immediate closure of all tuck shops implicated in ...

Open in App

Johannesburg, Nov 16 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the immediate closure of all tuck shops implicated in the recent food-borne illness outbreak that claimed the lives of children.

"Non-compliant businesses and shops linked to any poisoning incident or found to unlawfully stock hazardous chemicals will be shut down," he said, addressing the nation on Friday evening.

Ramaphosa's address followed reports of nearly 900 cases of food-borne illnesses across all provinces in the country since September, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal being the most affected. At least 22 children have died, prompting urgent measures, reports Xinhua news agency.

An investigation into the deaths of six children in Soweto, a township in Johannesburg, revealed in early October that they had ingested organophosphate pesticide, commonly known as "Terbufos."

Ramaphosa stressed removing such hazardous pesticides from public access to prevent further tragedies. "The first intervention is to get hazardous pesticides off the street. The second critical intervention is to protect children from exposure to these substances," Ramaphosa noted.

The President said these measures were decided during a special cabinet meeting, noting that all spaza shops and food retailers must register with their local municipalities within 21 days. Non-compliance, he warned, would result in closure.

To enforce these measures, a massive campaign for door-to-door inspections of tuck shops and informal traders will be launched, starting with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

"This will be undertaken by interdisciplinary inspection teams consisting of the South African Military Health Services, environmental health practitioners, the South African Police Service, the National Consumer Council, labour inspectors, and others," he said. "The initial phase of inspections will need to be completed within a month."

Ramaphosa also extended condolences to the families affected, highlighting the growing danger of unregulated pesticide use in communities. "The unregulated use of restricted pesticides in communities has become a growing problem, with devastating consequences," he added.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Open in App

Related Stories

Other SportsIPL 2025: Bumrah four-fer after Rickelton, Surya fifties propel MI to 54-run win over LSG

CricketMumbai Indians defeat Lucknow Super Giants by 55 runs: Bumrah's 4-wicket haul and Rickelton's fifty shine

NationalTripura's unemployment ratio less than national average, claims CM Saha

NationalED conducts searches in Jaipur under PMLA

CricketPratika Rawal's unbeaten 50-run knock guides India Women to victory over Sri Lanka by 9 wickets

International Realted Stories

InternationalFlour supplies in Gaza depleted: UN agency

InternationalBangladesh wants peace in South Asia, says Foreign Affairs Adviser

InternationalDawoodi Bohra Community in NY pays tribute to victims of J-K terror attack

InternationalDeath toll from Iran port blast rises to 28, 800 injured (3rd ld)

InternationalNepali lawmakers condemn Pahalgam attack, call for unified action against terrorism