Child hospitalised for food poisoning, sparking urgent call for spaza shops regulation reform

An alarming incident involving an 8-year-old boy hospitalised for alleged food poisoning from snacks purchased at a local spaza shop has reignited calls for the enforcement of food safety regulations in Gauteng.

This case highlights severe implications of regulatory failures, particularly for vulnerable populations, including children.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is demanding accountability from the province MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile.

In a statement on Monday, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Isa Dos Santos, pointed out troubling statistics released by Maile, revealing that over 15,000 spaza shops and food-handling facilities in Gauteng currently operate without compliance, with only 4,610 Certificates of Acceptability issued from a pool of 17,617 applications.

“While more than 31,000 inspections have been conducted, thousands of shops remain unregulated, posing significant risk to public health,” Dos Santos stated.

In response to the issue, Premier Panyaza Lesufi has promised new regulations aimed at bolstering food safety standards.

However, the recent hospitalisation indicates that these promised measures have yet to take effect. “Children in Gauteng should not be facing food poisoning as a consequence of regulatory negligence,” Dos Santos added.

The DA has pointed to last year’s tragic deaths of 23 children linked to hazardous organophosphate chemicals, underscoring the urgent need for municipalities to ramp up inspections and close down non-compliant establishments.

“Every child’s health is paramount,” said Dos Santos. “We need stricter oversight mechanisms and accountability from municipal officials to ensure compliance with food safety standards.”

As the community grapples with implications of this incident, residents are left questioning  safety  food they consume daily.

The urgency for reform is apparent, and DA has vowed that provincial government led by them would prioritise community health and safety, ensuring that regulatory failures do not compromise well-being of Gauteng residents.

The situation emphasises not only immediate need for action but also highlights systemic issues surrounding food safety in informal trading environments.

Without swift and effective measures, the risk of further tragic incidents remains unacceptably high.