‘Close all of them’: McKenzie on foreign-owned spaza shops as politicians differ over food poisoning

 

Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie says spaza shops owned by foreigners should be closed and their owners arrested and deported. File photo.
Image: Veli Nhlapo

Sport‚ arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie believes the closure of spaza shops owned by foreign nationals and the deportation of illegal immigrants will solve the recent increase in food poisoning cases.

This comes in the wake of a spate of food poisoning cases from items allegedly bought from spaza shops.

“We need to close all these shops. We can’t be debating this matter. The shops should be closed and owners arrested to be deported. What more do we want to see‚ more children dying?” McKenzie said.

The deaths of six children who had consumed snacks allegedly bought from a spaza shop in Naledi‚ Soweto‚ led to residents looting and closing several shops in the area. There has been no medical report yet detailing the cause of the deaths.

In Bronkhorstspruit 25 pupils received medical attention after allegedly eating snacks bought from a street vendor near their school.

Last week‚ 47 children were treated for food poisoning after consuming alleged expired chocolates in Hammanskraal.

On the West Rand‚ 74 matric pupils were hospitalised for suspected food poisoning during a school camp.

McKenzie said the incidents demonstrated a need for action.

“South Africans have been exercising maximum restraint and discipline. Government should act quickly before people wrongfully take the law into their own hands. What do we owe the illegal foreigners? Let them go‚” he said.

Gauteng finance MEC Lebogang Maile has cautioned the problem is more complex than it appears on the surface.

“Shops that are not selling the correct things must be closed. But you don’t wake up and say‚ ‘We will close all the foreign-owned shops’. South Africa is governed by laws‚” he said.

“This matter is complicated. The other day we walked into a foreign-owned shop‚ but the Bangladesh national had South African citizenship. When you say‚ ‘close all the foreign-owned shops’‚ how do we refer to those people who have citizenship? This issue has become more complex and that’s why we must allow national government to lead us. But it must not be an issue that waits until there’s a problem.”

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said earlier this week authorities are investigating the cause of the food poisoning cases and six government entities have been roped in. This includes police‚ municipal environmental inspectors‚ the National Consumer Commission‚ the department of agriculture and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

TimesLIVE

 

Source: ARENA Holdings.

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