The Gauteng Health Department has documented a total of 203 food poisoning cases between February 2024 and September 2024, resulting in six fatalities.
This has led to a renewed focus on issues of compliance at foreign-owned spaza shops across Gauteng.
“While the provincial governments await autopsy reports to gain a clear understanding of what precisely is killing and making children sick after consuming food purchased at foreign-owned shops in townships, we are also engaging with public health experts to understand the potential magnitude of the problem,” Maile said at a media briefing on Sunday.
Maile said autopsy reports from last year’s deaths revealed that an illegal substance used as rat poison, which is colloquially known as halephirimi, is the likely cause of deaths.
At the same time, the MEC accused big businesses and shopping malls of hindering the growth of the township economy.
He said these well-established entities are drawing customers away from township businesses, and also do not source from township enterprises.
Maile added that foreign-owned shops have introduced unfair competition in the township economy, saying that foreign nations have been monopolising it for decades.
“Foreign nations dominate spaza shops in townships, and it is inevitable that local spaza shops will be frustrated and unable to thrive in their communities.”
Maile is set to visit Sharpeville and Naledi on Monday to engage with relevant stakeholders and communities to implement strategies to combat the crisis.
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