Cape Town — The Department of Agriculture (DoA) is set to conduct inspections into all five registered manufacturers of Terbufos to ascertain controls and determine any differences between illegally imported and locally produced chemicals.
Following the death of 22 people and dozens of others who have been hospitalised due to chemicals in food resulting in foodborne illnesses, the government decided to classify all foodborne illnesses as national disaster in a concerted effort to prevent any further illnesses from happening.
According to a statement, DoA Minister, John Steenhuisen said there are only five manufacturers of Terbufos in South Africa and the department will engage with them on the measures they have in place to protect the supply chain and ensure that the end use is legitimate.
The department is currently waiting for independent lab results of samples taken during the spaza shop inspection to see if there is a match to any South African products.
The Department of Agriculture will strengthen Biosecurity efforts, as one of our key priorities in our annual performance plan, to support the control of the entry of products, organisms, and other harmful biological products at the ports of entry. pic.twitter.com/GURTVyqyfs
— John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) November 21, 2024
“It is the department’s view that the Terbufos found in Gauteng does not emanate from one of the five South African producers but comes instead from across South Africa’s borders. Another substance was found in spaza shops that was banned for production and sale in South Africa in 2016,” he said.
He added that the department intended to understand where the substances come from and how the department can stop them from coming into South Africa, should it be the case.
The Minister said the department will also strengthen the work of the biosecurity efforts to support the control of the entry of products, organisms and other harmful biological products at the ports of entry.
“Biosecurity is something which is being declared a major priority of the department and it is one of the 70 priorities we identified in our annual performance plan, and we hope to invest the support of all South Africans, as we make biosecurity everybody’s responsibility,” the Minister added.
The inspections by the Department of Agriculture will be complemented by the nationwide cleanup campaigns, which have already kicked off in Gauteng and will be rolled out to other hotspot areas and the entire country.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
