The National Agricultural Marketing Council (Namc) yesterday said that the foodborne diseases were a serious public health threat, impacting the economy, society, and health, in both locally and globally.
This comes after the National Disaster Management Centre yesterday classified the recent uptick in foodborne illnesses across the country as a national disaster, in terms Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002.
Dr Moses Lubinga, Namc manager for agro-processing, said that every year foodborne illnesses, such as food poisoning, cause illness in a large percentage of the global population.
“In South Africa, concerns over foodborne diseases have led to significant actions, with the National Disaster Management Centre recently classifying the rise in foodborne illnesses as a national disaster under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002,” Lubinga said yesterday.
“This declaration, announced on November 21 2024, underscores the severity of these outbreaks, which have claimed lives and affected numerous South Africans.”
The government said this action came after a spate of foodborne illnesses as a result of several factors that have claimed the lives of some 22 people including children this year and left others hospitalised. Since September this year, at least 890 incidents of foodborne illnesses have been reported, it added.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Thembi Simelane, said measures to standardise municipal by-laws regulating businesses will be expedited to clamp down on the problem.
“The implementation of the standard by-laws for rural and township economies, which among others, advocate for mandatory proper waste disposal and recycling practices to ensure that business areas are free from obstructions and pollutants will be expedited,” Simelane said.
“This will also go a long way in dealing with the issue of rat infestations in our communities, which gives rise to the harmful use of dangerous and banned chemicals like pesticides. Several Municipal Councils around the country have already adopted standard by-laws. We urge other municipalities who are yet to adopt the by-laws to urgently do so, to assist the compliance process and save lives.”
Meanwhile, Lubinga said that in addition to health risks, recent discoveries of illegal food products, like those seized at Durban warehouse recently, posed serious challenges to South Africa’s food system.
He said these incidents exposed gaps in food safety regulations and enforcement, shaking consumer confidence and disrupting supply chains.
According to Namc, there is a potential need and opportunity to launch public health awareness campaigns to educate the public on food safety practices, enhance crisis management, enforce stricter regulatory measures and potentially develop more research and development in a bid to mitigate a further impact or future impact of foodborne illnesses.
“In particular, Namc stresses the importance of robust food safety practices not only for consumer well-being but also for the economic stability of the agricultural sector, which is vital to South Africa’s economy and food security,” Lubinga said.
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