South Africa is grappling with a series of tragic food poisoning incidents, prompting urgent calls for stricter regulation of spaza shops. In recent weeks, more than 20 children, mainly in the Gauteng area, have died after consuming contaminated food allegedly purchased from these informal township shops.

With dozens more hospitalised, the crisis has highlighted long-standing issues around food safety and the enforcement of regulations in the informal trading sector. Here’s what you need to know about the situation and the measures being implemented to tackle it.

What happened?

Early last month, the Gauteng Health Department recorded a staggering 207 food poisoning cases among young people, prompting widespread concern. The most severe incident occurred in Soweto, where six children — all under the age of 10 — died after consuming snacks from a local spaza shop. A toxicology report later revealed the presence of a highly lethal organophosphate pesticide, terbufos, as the cause of death.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed the findings during a media briefing, stating, “All six children died of terbufos ingestion. The toxicology has proven that the actual cause of death is an organophosphate.” 

New by-laws to regulate spaza shops

Spaza shops, while vital for economic participation in many communities, have become a significant concern due to their lack of regulation and oversight. In response to a series of alarming food poisoning incidents across Gauteng, the provincial government has rolled out stringent new by-laws aimed at regulating spaza shops and ensuring public safety. Premier Panyaza Lesufi outlined several measures designed to prevent further contamination risks and protect consumers, especially children.

  • Mandatory Re-registration: All spaza shops implicated in food poisoning cases are now required to re-register. This move aims to weed out non-compliant shops and ensure that only businesses meeting basic health standards continue to operate.
  • Weekly Health Inspections: Lesufi announced that health officials will conduct regular, weekly inspections of spaza shops. These checks are designed to monitor compliance with safety standards and quickly identify any potential risks before they escalate.
  • Public Awareness and Law Enforcement: Lesufi urged the public to remain vigilant, encouraging consumers to check expiration dates on products and report any concerns immediately. He made it clear that law enforcement has been instructed to shut down any shops found non-compliant with these new regulations.

Xenophobia rears its head 

As investigations into the deaths of children from food bought at spaza shops continue, an underlying issue of xenophobia has also emerged. The incident has sparked tensions, with some accusing foreign-owned spaza shops of being the source of the contaminated food. While the investigation is still ongoing, these claims have added fuel to an already sensitive issue in South Africa — the role of foreign nationals in the retail sector and the local economy.

Xenophobic tensions have been a recurring issue in South Africa, with some viewing foreign nationals as competitors in the informal retail market. Yet, health officials caution against scapegoating and urge the public to remain focused on food safety rather than making the issue about nationality.

Gayton McKenzie, the Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, recently suggested that spaza shops owned by foreign nationals should be closed down. He implied that the deaths were connected to the nationality of the shop owners rather than unsafe practices in the shops.

However, critics argue that this is a dangerously simplistic response to a much more complex issue. Xenophobic rhetoric, especially when fuelled by political opportunism, distracts from the real problem: the lack of proper regulation, enforcement, and health standards in informal businesses.