The DA is alarmed by the rising deaths attributed to food poisoning and urges the municipality to promote health inspection services which the party sees as a vital step towards ensuring food safety within the community.

“The responsibility for inspecting food distribution outlets falls on the Thabo Mofutsanyane Municipality. It should hire Environmental Health Practitioners to evaluate the outlets – those that fulfil basic criteria should receive a Certificate of Acceptability (COA).”

“These COA certificates, essential markers of safety, are issued free to qualifying outlets and must be prominently displayed,” said the Thabo Mofutsanyane Municipality DA Councillor Alison Oates.

Street vendors provide particular difficulties since they struggle for an income and provide cheap food to the underprivileged, which makes supervision more difficult.

The DA noted disturbing statistics on food premises inspected from July to September 2023, Dihlabeng 56 inspected, Setsoto 49, and Maluti-a-Phofung 99.

“These figures are increasingly underreported, but what remains deeply concerning is the failure of the Mayor, Municipal Manager, and Director of Community Services to identify and rectify this underreporting.”

“We demand immediate action by the Thabo Mofutsanyane Municipality to allocate funds to employ Environmental Health staff, intensify food safety monitoring, educate consumers, and assist informal traders,” said Oates.

Consumers can report violations to the District's Department of Community Services if they are worried about their food safety.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame corne