By Simon Nare
An intensive investigation is underway to establish the origin of a chemical that is responsible for food contamination and killed people, mainly learners, across the country, according Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshabvheni.
She told a post-Cabinet briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday that health officials concluded that Terbufos, a highly toxic pesticide had claimed the lives of six children in Naledi, Soweto. They had bought chips from a spaza shop.
“Government assures South Africans that our health authorities are thoroughly investigating this and other cases involving the deaths of young people as a result of suspected food poisoning. Anyone found responsible will be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said the minister.
Gauteng banned the unauthorised sale of Terbufos over the weekend.
She added that Cabinet was briefed on the foodborne illnesses and fatalities recorded in various areas of the country.
Ntshavheni said government has prioritised the matter and has since escalated it to the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure for intervention.
“An intensive investigation is underway to ascertain the origin of the chemical,” she said.
Medical personnel were being advised to check for symptoms of organophosphate toxicity which included severe diarrhoea, vomiting, foaming at the mouth and nose, tears readily flowing from the eyes without anybody crying and constant urination.
“The antidote of organophosphate and carbamate poisoning is an intravenous atropine injection which is used, among others, to treat insecticide or mushroom poisoning,” she said.
She also spoke about new draft by-laws for township economies in terms of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act.
They would harmonise the township ecosystem and provide norms and standards for the establishment and management of formal and informal township-based enterprises.
Ntshavheni said President Cyril Ramaphosa would address the nation this week on the food contamination crisis, but would not commit to a date as work still needed to be done.
She said there was no discussion to deploy soldiers to raid spaza shops as demanded by some, including ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.
“In terms of work that is underway, we think ourselves as the security cluster outside of defence we have the capacity to handle what has to be handled,” she said.
She added that there might be a special Cabinet meeting on the matter.
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