Cogta Deputy Minister Namane Masemola suggests that kids who died from food bought from spaza shops may have been deliberately harmed.
THE more than 20 kids who died from food bought from spaza shops may have been deliberately poisoned.
This is according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) deputy minister Namane Masemola.
He made this suggestion on Tuesday, 25 March, when the department gave an update to the Portfolio Committee on Cogta regarding spaza shop registrations.
Masemola pointed out that since the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) intensified Operation Vala Umgodi to deal with zama zamas, deaths related to airborne illnesses have decreased.
“The momentum with which it (Natjoints) moved, from that time (2024) to date we have not had any incidents which means some of these matters were done deliberately.
“I agree with one honourable member who said these brothers and sisters of foreign origin do things deliberately in some cases and to an extent that we may have had all these casualties. But since the momentum was triggered there’s nothing that relates to the loss of life anymore,” he said.
He called on government to tighten laws dealing with undocumented foreign nationals. He said that’s the only way Natjoints’ operation would take shape.
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Masemola said locals feel that Natjoints is hard at work and have been able to occupy mining spaces such as sand mining without fear of the zama zamas.
“We are no longer seeing what used to pose a threat to and challenge this country’s future resources,” he said.
A pesticide, Terbufos, was found at spaza shops and food items where at least 24 kids have since died and a total of 890 incidents of food-borne illnesses were reported across all nine provinces.
Gauteng and KZN were the most affected, while Limpopo, the Free State and Mpumalanga also recorded food poisoning incidents.
Masemola said government must capitalise on the operation and double its effort in dealing with undocumented foreign nationals using Natjoints operations.
The committee also heard that only 2 977 applications from foreign nationals had been approved to run spaza shops from more than 18 000 applications received since last July.
Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said 520 health inspectors are employed to conduct physical inspections.
He assured MPs shops that sold contaminated food have since been closed.
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