In response to the Executive Council’s concern about the spiraling incidents of food poisoning affecting school children, the MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Makhosazane Masilela, is leading a multi-stakeholder joint businesses inspection operation, as the Department intensifies its oversight function on business regulation and license
compliance. This is in the wake of the deaths of mostly school children, after consuming foodstuff, especially snacks. A number of school children in the Province have also received medical care owing to the suspected food poisoning.
MEC Masilela – In view of the increasing food poisoning occurring in our communities, we have decided to intensify our oversight function by inspecting all businesses selling foodstuffs, to ensure that the products they sell are safe to be consumed by our people. We are concerned that the number of especially school-going children, who succumb to food-borne illnesses and poisoning, keeps on rising at an alarming rate across the country.
The situation really calls for us in the Province, to intensify these inspections, in our quest to save lives. We are, thus, working with relevant national and provincial stakeholders, including our police, to go around the Province and conduct these inspections in all businesses selling anything edible.
