By Alicia Mmashakana and Johannah Malogadihlare
Gauteng economic development MEC Lebogang Maile has called for calm in Naledi in Soweto after the tragic death of five learners.
There are multiple reports of angry community members looting, destroying and closing down foreign-owned shops in the area.
“We don’t want lawlessness in Gauteng and people should not take the law into their own hands. We will intensify the Qondis’ Ishishini Lakho (Fix Your Business) campaign, as a powerful instrument to crack down on non-complaint businesses across the province, especially in townships,” Maile said in a statement on Thursday.
Five children died after eating food that was allegedly expired and sold from a local spaza shop.
In response to the incident, the Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs (GOCA) expressed concern about the quality of food sold at spaza shops in townships.
“GOCA… expresses concern about the sale of sub-standard foodstuff in our communities as they put the health and lives of consumers at risk.
“It is for this reason that the Gauteng department of economic development, of which GOCA is a unit, launched the Qondis’ Ishishini Lakho compliance campaign in Thembisa last month to encourage businesses to comply with consumer laws and regulations,” GOCA said.
Earlier this week, the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety criticised the continued sale of expired and potentially dangerous goods, emphasising the importance of immediate action to protect vulnerable populations, particularly children.
“The irresponsible actions of certain spaza shop owners, prioritising profit over the health and safety of our communities, are simply intolerable,” said committee chair Bandile Masuku.
Last month, the Gauteng health department revealed that 207 cases of food poisoning affecting children had been reported since February his year, causing the deaths of at least 10 children.
GOCA urged community members to report safety issues they may have in regard to food sold in their areas.
“While some shops in the neighbourhood have since been shut down by the community, the cause of death is yet to be established and an investigation is currently underway. We plead for calm and urge the community to allow the investigation to take its course,” GOCA said.
“If consumers suspect that the food they consumed was not in a condition to be sold or consumed, they should report the matter to environmental health practitioners [Municipal Health Services] at their nearest municipality for food testing,” the statement read.
Maile is set to visit the affected areas this coming weekend to interact with spaza shop owners and informal traders.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng health department has confirmed that over 70 Grade 12 learners from various schools in the West Rand area are receiving treatment at Carletonville District Hospital following a suspected food poisoning incident.
It happened on Thursday during a matric camp.
“We remind the public to be vigilant about food safety and ensure the proper handing of perishable and non-perishable food items,” the department said in a statement.
“The public is further advised to consider alternative methods other than pesticides and insecticides to make their properties and gardens unattractive to pests.”
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