Limpopo school food poisoning: Government passing the buck onto SGBs, conditions likely impractical – DA
THE Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo believes education authorities have shifted school food safety onto governing bodies – a move which is likely impractical.
The directive issued by the premier’s joint operating committee on school food safety stated that school governing bodies (SGBs) will be ultimately accountable for the safety of food sold by vendors on school premises.
DA’s Jacques Smalle said this was not a mandate or capability of school governing bodies. He said it was the responsibility of the provincial department health and local municipalities’ health and public safety departments.
“While we welcome many of the interventions that the premier’s joint operating committee has implemented, the DA rejects this passing of the buck from the government onto SGBs,” Smalle said.
Provincial authorities initially suspended the sale of food in and around school premises in a move to curb the surge in school food poisoning. The suspension has been lifted with stringent conditions.
Some of the conditions require vendors to sign a service level agreement with SGBs specifying adherence to food safety and standards and they hold a valid certificate of acceptability from the health department.
They are also required to stock and sell items consistent with the National School Nutrition Programme Guidelines for Tuckshop Operators and maintain verifiable documentation demonstrating the origins of their products.
“These are very stringent conditions – and food safety does require stringent standards – but the administration of these new conditions and processes is likely impractical and beyond the means of most school vendors, who are often sole-proprietors with little business support,” Smalle said.
He felt that the government should take reasonability and work collaboratively with vendors and empower them, rather than placing the vendor sector under a massive administrative burden.
He called on government to retract its directive that SGBs were accountable for the safety of food being sold by vendors within and outside of schools.
