ActionSA Commits to Assisting School Vendors Impacted by the Ban on Food Sales
Fun:zi Ngobeni
ActionSA Gauteng Caucus Leader
ActionSA Gauteng has committed itself to assisting school vendors who have been adversely impacted by Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane’s call to suspend food sales in and around school premises.
Honouring the invitation from civic organisations, ActionSA attended a meeting at the Gauteng Legislature on Wednesday, 1 3 November 2024, where various stakeholders impacted by the MEC’s call sought to dissect its implications and the best way to resolve the impasse.
The meeting highlighted many glaring irregularities emanating from the MEC’s call, some of which renders his call unlawful: • Despite the MEC placing the responsibility of suspending food sales solely on the SGBs and school management, no consultation took place with these strategic stakeholders. • The appointment or authorisation of vendors to sell food in and around school premises; or revocation of such appointments or authorisations; rests with the SGBs, not the MEC. • The vast majority of foodborne cases emanate from children having eaten food bought in spaza shops owned by undocumented foreign nationals, with just two of the 23 schoolchildren who have died having been linked to street vendors.
ActionSA Gauteng, therefore, calls on MEC Chiloane to act as follows: • Immediately withdraw the suspension of food sales in and around school premises, as this is a misdiagnosis of the real problem and is causing economic hardships to vendors who are, mostly, South African elderly citizens. • Brief Gauteng residents on how many councillors had carried out audits of spaza shops within their wards, as he’d tasked them on the 11th of October 2024. • Inform residents how many of the spaza shops where audits were carried out were compliant and how many were not. • What actions were taken against non-compliant spaza shops.
ActionSA believes that foodborne illnesses and deaths have reached calamitous proportions. However, it cannot be resolved by protecting undocumented foreign nationals masquerading as businesspeople at the expense law-abiding South African citizens.
We are willing to assist the MEC and the entire Gauteng Executive leadership in bringing all impacted stakeholders together to find meaningful and lasting solutions to this debacle.
ActionSA Commits to Assisting School Vendors Impacted by the Ban on Food Sales
ActionSA Gauteng has committed itself to assisting school vendors who have been adversely impacted by Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane’s call to suspend food sales in and around school premises.
Honouring the invitation from civic organisations, ActionSA attended a meeting at the Gauteng Legislature on Wednesday, 1 3 November 2024, where various stakeholders impacted by the MEC’s call sought to dissect its implications and the best way to resolve the impasse.
The meeting highlighted many glaring irregularities emanating from the MEC’s call, some of which renders his call unlawful:
• Despite the MEC placing the responsibility of suspending food sales solely on the SGBs and school management, no consultation took place with these strategic stakeholders.
• The appointment or authorisation of vendors to sell food in and around school premises; or revocation of such appointments or authorisations; rests with the SGBs, not the MEC.
• The vast majority of foodborne cases emanate from children having eaten food bought in spaza shops owned by undocumented foreign nationals, with just two of the 23 schoolchildren who have died having been linked to street vendors.
ActionSA Gauteng, therefore, calls on MEC Chiloane to act as follows:
• Immediately withdraw the suspension of food sales in and around school premises, as this is a misdiagnosis of the real problem and is causing economic hardships to vendors who are, mostly, South African elderly citizens.
• Brief Gauteng residents on how many councillors had carried out audits of spaza shops within their wards, as he’d tasked them on the 11th of October 2024.
• Inform residents how many of the spaza shops where audits were carried out were compliant and how many were not.
• What actions were taken against non-compliant spaza shops.
ActionSA believes that foodborne illnesses and deaths have reached calamitous proportions. However, it cannot be resolved by protecting undocumented foreign nationals masquerading as businesspeople at the expense law-abiding South African citizens.
We are willing to assist the MEC and the entire Gauteng Executive leadership in bringing all impacted stakeholders together to find meaningful and lasting solutions to this debacle.