WeeklySA_AdminCRUSADE: Following the official ban of Terbufos, the pesticide responsible for the death of young kids in Soweto and elsewhere, civil society bodies say they will now target 194 other poisonous substances…
By Monk Nkomo
The government’s decision to ban the deadly pesticide, Terbufos, which claimed the lives of young children in the past few years, has been welcomed by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the SA People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins (SAPToA).
Terbufos has also been blamed for the devastating effects wreaked on the lives of scores of farm labourers exposed to its harmful effects on the farms.
Both the SAHRC and SAPToa, which made representations on Terbufos’ highly poisonous effects to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture in February this year, said the ban marked the end of a long era of undue influence by the chemical industry over the regulation of their deadly products.
The Parliamentary representations followed public hearings convened by SAPToA during “Human Rights Month” this year when survivors of pesticide exposure, trade unions, farmworkers, householders, researchers and medical experts gave testimony on the devastating effects of agritoxins, especially on poor and marginalised communities.
The Tribunal, which was adjudicated by Judge Navi Pillay, Commissioner Philile Ntuli and Dr Sophia Kisting-Cairns, heard chilling testimonies from farm workers who lost their loved ones and scores. Some of the victims had suffered from permanent and serious ailments due to the mixing and spraying of pesticides on grape farms in the Western Cape.
Farmworkers faced serious health risks due to pesticide exposure, including respiratory issues, skin problems and long-term illnesses like cancer which led to job losses. Lack of proper safety measures, including protective equipment and inadequate living conditions, exacerbated the situation.
SAPToA said the ban was a significant victory, signalling the beginning of the transformation of an agricultural system riven with conflict of interest, inequalities, abuse of worker rights and the unchallenged hegemony of toxic chemicals.
“Civil society will continue to push for the immediate ban of all 194 Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) currently registered in South Africa and reject the notion of phase-out periods subject to industry discretion which is a fig leaf for industry delay and provocation’’.
Announcing the ban last week, Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said: “Cabinet has approved the ban of Terbufos, also known as Halephirimi, and the import of this chemical compound into South Africa.
Terbufos, classified as an organophosphate, is commonly used as an insecticide and pesticide in the farming community.
“The ban will be accompanied by a suite of enforcement measures, while broader consultations are underway to identify safer alternatives in order to safeguard food security and support farmers,” the Minister said.
On February 4 this year, the SAHRC met with the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, the Minister of Agriculture and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture to address the human rights implications of agricultural pesticides, particularly Terbufos.
In its presentation to Parliament, the SAHRC strongly advocated for its ban nationally, calling for a shift towards regenerative agriculture and enhanced government action to protect public health.
The Portfolio Committee responded positively to the SAHRC’s proposal to establish a multi-sectoral task team with a six-month mandate to identify viable, effective alternatives to Terbufos and other Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs).
The SAHRC said the Cabinet’s decision to ban Terbufos was a historic milestone in the realisation of critical socio-economic rights, including the right to health, clean water, a safe environment and adequate food.
The Commission continued to share its heartfelt condolences with the families who lost their children in Naledi, Soweto, and in other parts of the country, due to pesticide-related illnesses linked to Terbufos.
SAPToA welcomed Cabinet’s decision, adding that – on June 16 this year – South Africans remembered the many young people who died for the country’s democracy.
“We also remember the young people who died through neglect as a result of policies that prefered profit over people’s lives, such as occurred in Naledi, Soweto when, in October 2024, six children had died due to exposure to the highly hazardous pesticide, Terbufos”.
Despite a government policy adopted in 2010 to phase out HHPs and a regulation being issued in 2023 to restrict Terbufos, business continued as usual for the chemical industry that, in the week before the Naledi children died, was still insisting on having more time to prepare for any regulations. For the industry, it appeared the death of children due to their products was not an urgent matter.
‘’This Cabinet decision to ban Terbufos, recognising our Constitutional imperative to put the child’s best interests first, marks the end of a long era of undue influence by the chemical industry over the regulation of their deadly products. The highest level of government has reined in corporate impunity and said that all South Africans, particularly children, have the right to a safe and healthy environment.’’
SAPToA also called for transparency in governance of agricultural toxins, beginning with making available a public database of all pesticides registered in South Africa, as a constitutional right for all South Africans.
The Civil Society Alliance, which comprised academics and trade unions, sent a letter of demand in December 2024 to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, requesting him to ban Terbufos, or face court action.
They submitted that the pesticide had already claimed at least 22 lives including children. All the victims were from poor communities.
