2024 In Review| SA’s deadly spaza shop crisis

In October, South Africans were left reeling after the sudden passing of six children in Naledi, Soweto, in a suspected food poisoning incident.

The friends, Zinhle Maama (7), Monica Sathekge (6), Njabulo Msimango (7), Karabo Rampou (8), Isago Mabote (7), and Katleho Olifant (7), died within days of one another after eating snacks from their local spaza shop.

The tragic loss of the six young lives would be the catalyst needed to uncover a disturbing pattern of health and safety code violations by spaza shop owners.

Stomach cramps and foaming through the mouth and nose were the telltale signs of the children’s torture.

Following their mass burial, their bereaved families expressed hope that no other family would suffer the same pain.

“We are shattered; I don’t think there are any words that can explain what happened. We just hope this will never ever happen again,” said Thabiso Koboe, 7-year-old Katleho Olifant’s uncle.

Their hopes were, however, in vain as the country continued to face a spate of suspected food-poisoning deaths, disproportionately affecting young children.

Speaker of the City of Joburg Nobuhle Mthembu is out in #Soweto inspecting spaza shops. First stop, owner of the shop also has his bedroom right next to where he sells his goods. #eNCA #spazashops pic.twitter.com/JP0kri5JfE

— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) November 13, 2024

Deputy National Commissioner responsible for policing, Lieutenant General, Tebello Mosikili, confirmed that of the 41 food-borne related deaths reported this year, 38 of them had been children.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases has since confirmed that the children died after being exposed to a highly hazardous pesticide, known as Terbufos.

“Out of the five manufacturers of this organophosphate called Terbufos, which they have inspected and tested… there is the conclusion that it must be coming from outside the country, because it was not similar to the one that is manufactured by the five companies,” said Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi.

The substance, used in large-scale agricultural production, was used by the outlets to relinquish rats.

The spate of food poisoning deaths saw communities across the country take to the streets, demanding the closure of foreign-owned spaza shops, which they blamed for the incidents.

RSA is heading for civil war ,not dirty Somalia gang rise to fight SAns over spazashops ,you can’t make this up 👇 pic.twitter.com/D9N3JZlqKI

— Uppity African (@Jolene68541946) December 9, 2024

Soweto residents protested the registration of foreign businesses at Jabulani Civic Centre by banging on cars and ordering foreigners to leave, leading to the suspension of the registration process.#TheStarNewspaper #SpazaShops pic.twitter.com/b9HsJZMGCx

— The Star (@TheStar_news) November 19, 2024

As authorities worked to get to the bottom of the incidents, expired and counterfeit foods were seized from some stores.

In early November, the Gauteng Education Department announced the suspension of food sales in and around schools to curb the spate of child deaths.

Later that same month, President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered the immediate closure of spaza shops linked to child deaths.

He outlined governments ambitious interventions, including the re-registration of spaza shops within 21 days.

While some believed the regulation was a good move, others, including civic movement Kopanang Africa, said the closure of businesses felt more like an attack on ordinary people.

“The government should work with vendors and spaza shops instead of imposing regulations that risk killing their businesses. Informal trade is crucial to our economy. It employs tens of thousands who might otherwise be jobless,” the organisation said in a statement.

On the other hand, education activist Hendrick Makaneta said tighter regulations would go a long way in eradicating food-borne diseases.

“This type of tragedy could have been avoided had there been more regulations from the state. We also salute members of various communities who took it upon themselves to check the quality of food sold in spaza shops in many parts of the country,” he said.

The Black Entrepreneurs Alliance was among organisations calling for the extension of the deadline, citing a lack of adequate time given to business owners to submit the required paperwork to comply.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini, Hlabisa has since announced the extension of the registration deadline for spaza shops and other food handling outlets to February 28, 2025.

The Black Business Council has, meanwhile, welcomed the extended deadline, stating that the previous deadline was not practical.

“You know South Africans, if you don’t give deadlines, nothing will ever happen. And looking at the urgency of the situation because people were dying, I think it made sense. But we knew that it was not going to be possible, especially because there are just so many complications,” said Council CEO Kganki Matabane.

As the year begins and parents prepare to take their children back to school, South Africans are hoping that the grief and fear they had to endure in 2024 due to the food poisoning incidents are the road they will never travel down, again.