South African police have discovered suspected expired food items during raids on several warehouses in Durban.
This comes as authorities try to contain a series of suspected food poisoning incidents resulting in the deaths of at least 20 children, many of them pupils, in recent weeks.
Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi led a team of officers for the raids on Wednesday.
They discovered at least two warehouses allegedly storing expired food items and prescription medication, state broadcaster SABC reports.
''We need to know who’s bringing it in—where do they send it to, who they sell it to, and the eventual final destination,” the broadcaster quotes the boss chief as saying.
Justice Minister Thembi Simelane on Thursday also said that law enforcement officers have imposed fines and confiscated large quantities of counterfeit goods in various provinces.
In the latest case of suspected of food poisoning, a five-year-old child died in Diepkloof, Soweto, the authorities said on Thursday. Three others were being treated in a hospital.
"Since the beginning of September 2024, there have been a total of 890 reported incidents of food-borne illnesses across all provinces," President Ramaphosa said in a televised address earlier this month.
Most of the children complained of stomachaches shortly after eating snacks at tuck shops located within or around their schools, the authorities had said.
Meticulous work
Police affairs minister Senzo Mchunu praised law enforcement agents for their ''meticulous work'' during this week's raids.
The recent deaths of children linked to food poisoning have caused concern across the country, particularly among parents, with the authorities reportedly considering declaring the situation a ''national disaster''.
President Ramaphosa had issued a directive on Monday for all spaza shops and food handling facilities to register with their respective municipalities within 21 days.
He also ordered the immediate closure of spaza shops implicated in the deaths of children.
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