Minister Hlabisa says they're working on declaring foodborne illness a national disaster

Minister of co-operative governance has revealed that the government is working towards declaring foodborne illnesses a national disaster.

Velinkosi Hlabisa said that they have laid the base to declare the national state of disaster.

This comes after the National Disaster Management Center classified foodborne illnesses as a national disaster.

The classification encourages organs of state, the private sector and communities to improve their practices of risk avoidance through their adherence to food safety legislation, standards and procedures.

As [the department] we are working towards the declaration of national disaster, but we are being guided by the developments and all the steps that need to be followedVelenkosini Hlabisa

It also encourage individuals to comply with applicable business registration legislation, standards and procedures.

Another thing it does is recommend that the national executives, respective provincial executives, and the respective municipal councils implement a multisectoral relief and rehabilitation plan to deal with the effects of the disaster.

“The classification was done on Tuesday, not the declaration. The next step now is to do due consideration of the declaration.

“As [the department] we are working towards the declaration of national disaster, but we are being guided by the developments and all the steps that need to be followed.”

Hlabisa was speaking at a media briefing on Thursday in Tshwane, where the government tabled its action plan to address their action plan to deal with the foodborne crises.

He was flanked by ministers of health, justice, and constitutional development, small businesses and enterprise, basic education, agriculture as well as trade and industry and competition.

On the other hand, health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that from the 84 swaps taken from spaza shops in Naledi, Soweto, last month, only three swaps showed a terbufos. Terbufos is a chemical compound used in insecticides and nematicides.

The department randomly took swabs from the spaza shops in Naledi after six children died from a suspected foodborne illness.

Motsoaledi said the deaths of the children have not been directly linked to the terbufos that was found in the shops.

“Swabs were taken from the counter, from where food is stored and behind fridges and from the 84 swabs. From three [swabs], it was found that it was on the counter but we can't link it to any death until police or detectives can prove that one of the children that died indeed bought food from there,” he said.

The terbufos that was found in those swabs is believed to not have originated from SA according to minister of agriculture, John Steenhuisen.

“It is my view and my opinion and it will be confirmed by the results, it does not emanate from our local manufacturers.

“When you look at the pictures of what has been found in the local tuckshops, it differs in colour and texture of the locally manufactured terbufos and it comes from neighbouring countries.”

Steenhuisen said it was yet to be determined which country it came from.

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