The idea of a government that puts people first feels like a distant dream. Parliament and the legislatures are supposed to be bastions of oversight, where elected officials keep a watchful eye on the state’s actions. But in our country, this promise often rings hollow. The recent tragedy of six children losing their lives after allegedly consuming toxic snacks from a spaza shop lays bare the stark failure of a democracy that should have been their shield, revealing a painful truth: the system is broken, and the innocent pay the price.
By Themba Khumalo
The community of Naledi in Soweto stirred from slumber to a nightmare that felt all too real. On that sorrowful Sunday, 1 October, 2023, the laughter of two children, Neo Kgang (5) and Leon Jele (6), was silenced forever, their lives extinguished far too soon.
It was reported that they had snacked on biscuits and juice bought from a nearby spaza shop, owned and run by foreign nationals.
Sunday, 7 October 2024, brought yet another tragic chapter to the community of Naledi, as five innocent children lost their lives, suspected victims of food poisoning. They had eaten a snack called “brown dash,” and soon after, they fell gravely ill. Despite the urgent rush to local hospitals, they were declared dead upon arrival.
On the morning of Sunday, 13 October, the sixth child, who was clinging to hope for a week in hospital, lost the battle, leaving a community reeling from the unbearable weight of six lives lost, their dreams now mere whispers in the wind.
Zinhle Masilela, just 7 years old, Isago Mabote at 8, little Monica Sebetwane who was only 6, Njabulo Msimango also 7, and Karabo Rampou, aged 8, along with Katleho Oliphant, who was 7, all lost their lives most heartbreakingly.
The tragedy that befell these children is nothing short of a blood-chilling nightmare, a cruel twist of fate that no child should ever have to bear. Just imagining their tiny bodies contorted in pain from severe stomach cramps, the relentless waves of vomiting, and the heavy fog of drowsiness that clouded their minds—lost and confused about the chaos erupting inside them—should pierce our hearts and ignite a deep sense of shame within us all.
Spaza shops are a breeding ground for something disgusting, something that stinks to high heaven, and it’s not just the rotten produce. Counterfeit food items are creeping onto the shelves of these local stores, leaving consumers to face the grim consequences for their health. With spaza shops conveniently close, they have become the lifeline for many struggling South Africans. However, now the community is left questioning the safety of what they are buying.
As expected, politicians and bureaucrats reacted with their usual knee-jerk antics, and frankly, it’s not impressive. Their empty threats of tough measures and lofty promises to rein in spaza shops that violate food safety laws do nothing to clear the names of those who should be enforcing these rules.
This past week saw the so-called leaders tripping over their rhetoric, desperately trying to project an image of concern. Someone ought to whisper in their ears that a stitch in time saves nine; in simple terms, they need to get ahead of the curve to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place.
It is an absolute outrage that those who are supposed to uphold the laws designed to protect citizens from dangerous foods have so utterly failed in their mission. The tragic loss of these children, occurring just a year after a similar tragedy, is a chilling indictment of a system plagued by incompetence and neglect.
We have state agencies to ensure the safety of the food we eat. Yet, they’ve shown themselves to be utterly useless. And what about the overseers? They are too busy chasing their tails instead of doing their jobs!
The merchants peddling these toxic food items shouldn’t be the only ones to feel the full might of the law. Those who failed to carry out their responsibility to protect the people of Naledi and beyond must also be held accountable for their unforgivable negligence.
With at least 203 food poisoning cases in schools and over ten learner fatalities reported since February 2024, the Gauteng government needs an urgent wake-up call.
The provincial authorities must collaborate with municipalities to conduct regular inspections and take decisive action against spaza shops and supermarkets violating regulations. The focus should shift from merely responding to tragedies and public outrage to establishing a rigorous and ongoing system of monitoring compliance with health and safety standards across all businesses.