Schoolchildren across Gauteng are falling sick and dying under suspicious circumstances involving poison ingestion, mostly from snacks they buy at spaza shops.
Happening at an alarming rate, these incidents have justifiably sparked outrage and condemnation. However, it has also sparked a rather divisive conversation around informal sector businesses, with some calling for the closure of those owned by foreign nationals.
Chief among them is Gayton McKenzie, minister of sports, arts and culture, who in addition to calling for the closure of spaza shops, is suggesting the deportation of foreign nationals as poisoning incidents soar.
On Sunday he posted on X: “We need to close all these shops, we can’t be debating this matter any more, these shops should be closed and owners arrested to be deported. What more do we want to see? More children dying?”
Pointing fingers at foreign nationals and veiled threats that people may ‘wrongfully take the law into their own hands’ is nowhere near a permanent and sustainable solution, nor is it a responsible utterance from a minister.
He added South Africans have shown “restraint and discipline” but “we are now burying our kids weekly.
“We as government should act and act fast before people wrongfully take the law into own hands. What do we owe these illegal foreigners? Let them go,” said McKenzie.
The incidents are terrifying — six children from Soweto died from suspected poisoning after they bought snacks at a local tuck shop early this month. Two weeks ago, a poisoning scare saw 74 grade 12 pupils being admitted to hospital on the West Rand. In Hammanskraal, 47 children received medical attention after apparently eating chocolate that expired in June.
The situation is worsening, and as a result, food safety has become a thorny and problematic issue.
It is deplorable that the most vulnerable of our humanity have fallen victim — our children. However, pointing fingers at foreign nationals and veiled threats that people may “wrongfully take the law into their own hands” is nowhere near a permanent and sustainable solution, nor is it a responsible utterance from a minister.
The solution, we know, lies with inspections and law enforcement.
It is in this spirit we believe the endless default reaction of South Africans calling for “foreigners must go” when things go wrong in the country needs urgent reform. Often fuelled by political opportunists, this stance lacks nuance and is unsafe as it perpetuates discrimination and violence in society.
This is not to say tuck-shop owners should be lax and not bear responsibility — on the contrary, we must demand the highest standards be upheld and consumers be protected. The Africa Diaspora Forum has expressed concern about the inclination of foreign shop owners to not meet the South African Bureau of Standards in conducting business. They were, however, dismayed at the looting and violence that took place as a result of the suspicions.
Early last month, the Gauteng health department said it had recorded 207 food poisoning cases among young people — a shockingly high figure.
It is therefore commendable that the national health department is undertaking a thorough investigation and deployed 80 environmental inspectors with the aim of identifying the chemical agent believed to be the root cause of the surge.
There is a need for robust collaboration and action across the different governmental departments and relevant stakeholders, not fearmongering tactics and politicking that will result in further harm.
Pushing xenophobic pomposity is not the solution at a time like this, intervention is what is needed to protect our children.
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