The country’s National Disaster Management Centre has classified the rising cases of food-borne illnesses across the country as a national disaster.
This after more than 22 children, died from suspected contaminated food while others were hospitalised.
“The National Disaster Management Centre has in terms of section 23 of the disaster management act section 57 of 2002 classified the food-borne diseases as a national disaster.
In addition, the classification hereby encourages all organs of state, the private sector and communities to improve their practices of risk avoidance through the adherence of food safety legislation, standards and procedures,” said Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Thembi Simelane, during a media briefing held in Pretoria.
According to government, since September this year, 890 incidents of food-borne illnesses have been reported across the country, mostly in Gauteng.
This compelled President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the nation last week Friday evening on government’s response to the incidents.
The measures will see spaza shops and vendors having to register their businesses with authorities within 21 days and comply with strict government regulations.
Moreover, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, who was speaking at the same briefing, said government hasn’t ruled out declaring the incidents a national disaster.
“The next step now we’re in the process of doing due consideration for the declaration of the disaster.
The classification helps to activate all structures, all departments to start taking actions in relation to the challenge at hand, so it is sufficient as a base.
But if you want to escalate the response, you go to a declaration of disaster, and it has far reaching implications,” explained Hlabisa.
Hlabisa said declaring the incident a national disaster will allow resources to be deployed, including the soldiers.
Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, said she’ll soon gazette measures to protect the sector.
“We’re also mindful of the fact that children are buying snacks that are taken into schools, and this is shared.
And so that’s why we have to be part of this multidisciplinary effort.
In addition to this, I’ll be gazetting and moving to ban the use of insecticides and pesticides on school premises.
We’re also taking further steps and guidelines to guide provinces on how to make sure that food at schools is protected from any kind of food-borne illnesses,” said Gwarube.
