KAAX criticises food sales ban outside school gates

Civil society organisation Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX) has voiced opposition to the government’s decision to halt food sales around school premises.

The measure was implemented after numerous foodborne illness cases affected hundreds of students in several provinces.

KAAX claims the suspension will worsen unemployment for black women, many of whom rely on informal trading as their sole income source.

Dr. Dale McKinley, spokesperson for the organisation, says, “This has been going on, with the first cases of the food poisoning were months ago and it seems to us, a very rushed and very hasty kind of decision that is in some ways a panic. In the case of informal traders, particularly around school, these are not people who are just selling willy nilly, any foods and snacks, these are often times people that have been there for years.”

“That’s their livelihood, they have agreements with the school, it seems like there was just no consultation, there was no plan, there’s no sense of trying to determine who might be responsible for this. Who the suppliers are, where the real sources of these problems are, as opposed to going after people whose livelihoods depend upon food sales,” McKinley adds.

McKinley added that the government’s action lacked consultation and failed to address the source of the problem.