ActionSA is dismayed at the continued deaths of children in Gauteng despite the promise made by Premier Panyaza Lesufi to deploy food inspectors to monitor townships’ spaza shops. This was, otherwise, a late call.
The latest being a nine-year-old who died in Alexandra on Sunday. The rate at which our future leaders are succumbing to death due to suspected food poisoning is beyond alarming, yet no urgent action has been taken by the provincial government thus far, except promises that have bought no tangible solutions.
Despite the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) committing to address the current spate of deaths as a national security threat, our communities have witnessed no impact of that commitment.
ActionSA Gauteng therefore calls upon the provincial government to enforce an urgent moratorium for the closure of all spaza shops, pending a provincial audit. Though this may temporarily inconvenience communities, it may help save multitudes of lives. An immediate audit of spaza shops in terms of holistic compliance with existing regulations by spaza shops should be immediately undertaken.
South Africans, particularly the youth, must not endure further insecurities regarding food and insufficient safeguarding from their own government. ActionSA Gauteng is committed to ensuring that our communities’ interests are protected, held as a priority and preserved.
