The South African government on Thursday declared foodborne illnesses, which have claimed at least 22 lives, a national disaster.
In a series of announcements on Thursday, the government also unveiled a R500 million fund to support businesses in rural and township areas, responding to multiple crises affecting public health and economic stability.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Thembi Simelane, confirmed that the National Disaster Management Centre has classified the recent surge in foodborne illnesses as a national disaster. Since September, there have been 890 reported cases of foodborne illness across the country.
The announcements come in the wake of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s addresses to the nation last Friday on government’s response to the recurring instances of foodborne illnesses.
In the address Ramaphosa urged all spaza shops to be registered with their municipalities within the next 21 days or face immediate closure.
Simelane said measures to standardise municipal by-laws regulating businesses will be expedited to clamp down on the problem.
“The implementation of the standard by-laws for rural and township economies, which among others, advocate for mandatory proper waste disposal and recycling practices to ensure that business areas are free from obstructions and pollutants will be expedited.
“This will also go a long way in dealing with the issue of rat infestations in our communities, which leads to the harmful use of dangerous and banned chemicals, such as pesticides,” she said.
Pesticides
A banned pesticide has been linked to the deaths of several children in South Africa, according to conclusive tests conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
Reon Pienaar, an expert in waste management and vice president of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa, said the tragedy, which has been linked to terbufos-tainted food from local spaza shops, points to desperate but dangerous attempts by communities and businesses to combat growing rat infestations caused in part by inadequate waste management systems.
“South Africa is on the brink of a national municipal waste crisis,” he added.
“Rats are ultimately just a symptom of a much larger issue that includes poor waste management. In response, township residents have turned to easily available dangerous chemicals and pesticides to deal with the problem, but as we’ve seen, there’s real danger in poisoning rats without the understanding of what the implications could be. Domestic animals may eat the poisoned rats and die, or community members could unintentionally contaminate nearby food, which other people might unknowingly eat – with obvious terrible consequences,” Pienaar said.
Ministerial Advisory Committee
Additionally, Simelane revealed the establishment of a Ministerial Advisory Committee, tasked with developing medium- and long-term strategies to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks. The Department of Health is also updating regulations to flag deaths among children under 12 from such illnesses.
In response to the economic impact of the crisis, the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (dtic), in partnership with the Department of Small Business Development, on Thursday announced a R500 million fund to support small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in underserved areas. The fund will offer financial and non-financial assistance to businesses, focusing on spaza shops and similar enterprises. Support will include stock acquisition, shop refurbishments, IT system upgrades, and capacity-building in technical skills and regulatory compliance.
“To qualify, SMMEs must register within the timelines set by the President, ensuring they are integrated into the formal economy,” the dtic said in a statement. The department also emphasized its commitment to reducing regulatory red tape, improving compliance processes through agencies such as the National Consumer Commission, and tackling illicit trade in township and rural economies.
Moreover, the dtic is collaborating with the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa to implement supplier development programs, which will improve market access and food safety for SMMEs. A joint working group has been formed to oversee these initiatives and ensure their success.
BUSINESS REPORT