Bulawayo councillors have raised growing concerns about the safety of food products sold in tuckshops, following reports of food poisoning incidents in neighbouring South Africa.
Several cases of food poisoning in South Africa have been linked to Spaza shops, particularly in Gauteng, where over 20 children have died after consuming contaminated food allegedly bought from these informal township shops.
This has led the South African government to declare the situation a national disaster.
During a recent Full Council Meeting, Ward 28 Councillor Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu said that many of the food products sold in Bulawayo are imported from South Africa, which has raised fears about the safety and quality of the items being sold locally. Said Ndlovu:
In South Africa, this issue has become a public health emergency. They have recorded a high number of deaths of children caused by food they buy from spaza shops.
We are worried as a city because we know that most of the stuff that we sell in these grocery shops and tuck shops are products that we buy from the neighbouring country.
What measures has the responsible committee taken to ensure that the food products sold in these shops are suitable and safe?
A member of the Health, Housing and Education Committee, Ward 2 Cllr Rendani Moyo, allayed the fears, saying there is adequate enforcement of the law to regulate the sale of foodstuffs in the city. Said Moyo:
We are making concerted and frantic efforts to make sure there is adequate enforcement of the law to regulate the activities at these locations. We also have environmental health personnel to inspect all outlets to ensure that operations are above board.
If you are a food handler there are rules and regulations you must abide by. Even in the operations of buying and selling groceries and food products, there are specifications that regulate all those who operate in the city.
While South Africa is one of our biggest trading partners as a city, we need to be on high alert to make sure all operations are above board.
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