Picture: Foreign tuckshop owners allegedly chased out of townships/Generic
By OBAKENG MAJE
Two children in the West Rand, Gauteng have died after allegedly eating poisonous food from a taxi rank last week. The incident comes days after two four-year-old-children in Soweto died allegedly after eating biscuits from a foreign-owned spaza shop.
Now, this has created a panic across North West as some parents fear for their children’s lives.
The chairperson of North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment, Tourism, Agriculture and Rural Development, Bitsa Lenkopane said she has been inundated with calls alleging that, there are children who were also reported dead after consuming poisonous food in the province.
“While no formal and or authenticated information and evidence have been received, the committee has been receiving calls from panicking parents and community members seeking remedies to protect communities from alleged traders who sell them products containing deadly poison.
“The department is urged to join hands and intensify the operation through district development model by thorough involvement with municipalities, and activation of the activists who will create awareness to ensure that communities understand that the state is in charge of such businesses,” she said.
Lenkopane further said the committee is appealing to the communities to remain calm. She added that, they called on the communities to remain vigilant, while further calling on the North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism and other relevant stakeholders to investigate these horrifying allegations.
“We are also calling on the department to do the inspections and furnish the committees with a detailed report, which should indicate trader categories and their respective consumable products which are further extended to school learners.
“This must include trader status, whether licensed or not, compliant with the business regulation act or not, which must indicate the compliance with Immigration Act 13 of 2002 regarding foreign-owned business,” said Lenkopane.
She urged the department to regularly communicate with communities through different platforms to ensure that they are accountable and responsible for all the operating businesses across the province, to reduce the amount of panic.
Lenkopane said the committee will rely on the report from the department that should be submitted within seven days and further engage communities on the work done and/or systems in place including communication of the database of all businesses, regulated or not.
“We equally appeal to communities to refrain from causing unnecessary unrest and rather report incidents and provide proof to the nearest police services. They should also provide accurate information to any government officials who might be dealing with the situation,” she said.
Meanwhile, no deaths of children consuming poisonous food in the province have been reported thus far.
The Guardian 