Foodborne Illnesses Declared a National Disaster in South Africa: 22 children dead

The National Disaster Management Centre has declared foodborne illnesses a national disaster after at least 22 children reportedly died recently, including six in Soweto.

Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed the disaster declaration following deaths across the country. At a briefing in Pretoria, he shared updates on interventions announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen linked the issue to terbufos, a pesticide possibly imported illegally. He noted differences in appearance between the seized chemical and locally produced terbufos, raising suspicions of cross-border origins. The chemical, often found with aldicarb—banned in 2016—was identified in three Soweto spaza shops during inspections.

Minister of Health Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi pointed out that terbufos is sold widely, including at taxi ranks and street markets.

He cautioned against solely targeting spaza shops, as the issue extends beyond them.

Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams echoed this, noting South Africa has over 150,000 spaza shops, with only a small fraction implicated in investigations.