WeeklySA_AdminSYSTEMIC: The Public Protector has found widespread failures in food safety oversight, warning that the deaths of at least 23 Gauteng children after eating contaminated food from spaza shops could have been avoided had municipalities enforced existing laws and maintained adequate inspection capacity…
By Lehlohonolo Lehana
Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka says the deaths of Gauteng children who died after consuming contaminated food from spaza shops could have been prevented, says Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka in her findings.
Gcaleka released a Section 7(9) notice on Friday as part of a systemic investigation into food safety compliance.
The investigation follows the deaths of at least 23 children in 2024, after they consumed food contaminated with deadly pesticides.
Gcaleka said probe was launched after several schoolchildren died and others fell ill after consuming food products purchased from informal traders.
“It is crucial, considering that it was widely reported, it is a matter where we actually lost lives as a country, which included the lives of children,” Gcaleka said.
“We considered that this is a matter that required a systemic approach rather than an approach to just the individual incidents.”
According to the Public Protector, evidence gathered during the investigation points to significant shortcomings in municipal capacity and compliance monitoring.
The investigation revealed that Gauteng has been flagged for failing to employ the recommended number of food safety practitioners, with none of the province’s municipalities meeting the standard requirements.
She says Gauteng does not meet the World Health Organisation’s benchmark of one Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) for every 10 000 residents. “The minimum inspection frequency interval for food premises is once every quarter, meaning each premises must be inspected at a minimum of four times a year.”
Johannesburg recorded the highest compliance level in the province at 50%, while the other metros fell below 25%. According to Gcaleka, Ekurhuleni is operating at 23%, Tshwane 21%, while Sedibeng and the West Rand are operating at 16% and 18% respectively.
Gcaleka has recommended that the Gauteng provincial government address its EHP shortages and strengthen enforcement of existing laws.
This would be achieved by the establishment of a technical committee made of members from small business development, health and cooperative governance departments.
“The technical committee must, upon completion of its work, submit a comprehensive report to the Premier of Gauteng for consideration and onward engagement with the MECs,” said Gcaleka.
She added that law enforcement needed to coordinate with the small business development and home affairs departments to ensure the law was being followed.
“The evidence before me shows that even though a local citizen is a registered owner of Dana tuckshop at Naledi, under whose name the CoA was issued, the shop itself was operated by a foreign national,” said Gcaleka.
She gave the national police commissioner 120 days to liaise with the departments in compiling a report on corruption, fraud and false declarations, as well as immigration and trading violations.
Gcaleka also gave the commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (Sars) 120 days to identify businesses and owners who were dodging their tax obligations.
She also stipulated directives for the municipal managers to abide by within 30 and 60 days of receiving the final report.
Municipal managers will have 30 days to audit their EHP capacities and training requirements, as well identify the staff and operational shortcomings of their local economic departments.
They will have 60 days to formulate operational plans to increase inspections and enforcement of food safety, business, trade and licensing laws.
The provincial departments of education, health, small business development and agriculture will also have 60-day deadlines to compile their own action plans on improving their own compliance mechanisms. – Fullview
MIRROR Briefs
Unpaid eThekwini contractors furious
About 60 water and sanitation contractors gathered outside the eThekwini Municipality’s water services depot in Pinetown on Friday, demanding answers over months of delayed payments and a lack of transparency in the awarding of contracts.
The contractors, who repair burst water pipes and maintain sewerage systems, had requested a meeting with municipal officials, but by 10am no representative had arrived.
Payment delays have persisted for months. In April, the contractors halted work after some had reportedly not been paid since December 2025. Many say they are owed tens of thousands of rands, leaving them unable to pay employees or support their families.
The contractors said municipal officials had promised to meet them after a protest last week, but the meeting never materialised. A second meeting scheduled for 14 July was also cancelled after they were informed the acting water and sanitation director was no longer in the post.
They also criticised a new contractor management system introduced earlier this year, saying only five of about 500 applicants were appointed as managing contractors, leaving many without work despite assurances they would be subcontracted. One contractor claimed he was owed R156,000, while another said five unpaid invoices totalled R250,000.
The municipality had not responded to media queries by publication. – GroundUp
Art reflects Madiba’s legacy
A new Johannesburg exhibition offers an intimate look at Nelson Mandela through art, personal tributes and treasured gifts, inviting South Africans to reflect on his enduring values.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Melrose Gallery have opened Madiba: A Life Reflected – Art, Memory and the Human Legacy of Nelson Mandela at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, as part of Mandela Month 2026. Open to the public until the end of July, the exhibition aligns with this year’s Mandela Month theme: “It is still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity,” echoing Mandela’s enduring call to action.
Curated by The Melrose Gallery, the exhibition combines works from the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Archive Repository and Gifts Collection with selected contemporary artworks. Visitors can explore portraits, letters, photographs, personal tributes and cultural objects presented to Mandela by world leaders, artists, schoolchildren and ordinary citizens.
Rather than focusing solely on Mandela as a global icon, the exhibition highlights the personal relationships, admiration and gratitude that surrounded his life.
Contemporary works by Dr Esther Mahlangu, Dr Noria Mabasa, Dr Willie Bester and Clint Strydom explore themes of dignity, identity, resilience and nationhood. “This exhibition invites visitors to see Madiba through the eyes of the people who loved, honoured and remembered him,” said Melrose Gallery director Craig Mark.
Visitors can also take part in Mandela Month activities at Melrose Arch, including Mandela Day Walk and Run events, while the exhibition provides a space for reflection, dialogue and renewed commitment to Mandela’s values. – Fullview
Customary marriages deadline
The Department of Home Affairs has urged couples in qualifying customary marriages to register their unions before the special registration period closes on 31 August 2026. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the department reminded the public that only a few weeks remain before the deadline for registering customary marriages that were not recorded within the prescribed period.
The special registration window, which runs from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026, was introduced by the Minister of Home Affairs to allow couples to regularise their marital status.
The registration drive applies to customary marriages concluded before the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act came into effect in November 2000, as well as marriages entered into after the law’s commencement that were not registered within the required timeframe.
Home Affairs warned couples against waiting until the final days of the registration period, saying a last-minute rush could result in long queues and processing delays at its offices. “ The department urges qualifying couples not to wait until the last minute, as this may result in unnecessary queues and delays,” the department said.
The department has also appealed to traditional leaders, community leaders and civil society organisations to assist in raising awareness of the deadline and encourage eligible couples to complete the registration process as soon as possible.
Registering a customary marriage is important because it provides legal recognition of the union and helps protect the rights of spouses in matters such as inheritance, property ownership and other legal and administrative processes.
Members of the public who need information about the registration process or the supporting documents required have been advised to visit their nearest Home Affairs office before the August 31 deadline. – SAnews.gov.za
SA, Namibia deepen ties
South Africa and Namibia have signed seven new agreements aimed at strengthening trade, investment, industrialisation and regional integration during the Fourth Session of the South Africa–Namibia Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Tshwane. Co-chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the meeting reaffirmed the countries’ historic relationship and commitment to closer political, economic, social and cultural cooperation. The agreements cover employment and labour, legal cooperation, public administration and a partnership between the two countries’ chambers of commerce.
The leaders also pledged to deepen collaboration within SADC, the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while supporting regional peace, economic integration and sustainable development.
Economic cooperation will focus on expanding trade and investment, strengthening cross-border value chains, promoting industrial development and beneficiation, and boosting cooperation in mining, petroleum, natural gas and renewable energy. The two countries also committed to advancing the Kudu Gas Power Project and strengthening transport links, including the Trans-Kalahari Corridor. South Africa and Namibia further agreed to cooperate on water management, agriculture, food security, public health, skills development and public-sector capacity building.
Since its establishment in 2013, the BNC has become the highest platform for bilateral cooperation. The two countries have now concluded 75 agreements and memoranda of understanding covering political, economic, social, defence and historical matters. – Fullview
