The Democratic Alliance in Limpopo calls on the Limpopo provincial government to retract its directive that School Governing Bodies (SGB) are accountable for the safety of food being sold by vendors within and outside of schools in the province.
The directive, issued by the Premier’s new Joint Operating Committee on school food safety, states that SGBs will be ultimately accountable for the safety of food sold by vendors on school premises – which is not a mandate or capability of a school’s governing body.
It is legally the responsibility of the provincial Department of Health and Local Municipalities’ Health and Public Safety departments for ensuring the safety, preparation, and handling of food.
While we welcome many of the interventions that the Premier’s Join Operating Committee has implemented, the DA rejects this passing of the buck from the government onto SGBs.
After initially prohibiting food sales by vendors within and outside school premises, the new guidelines allow food to be sold again, but require:
- Vendors to sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the School Governing Body (SGB), specifying adherence to food safety and nutrition standards required by the Department of Education.
- Vendors to hold a valid Certificate of Acceptability (COA) from the Department of Health, confirming compliance with hygiene standards for food premises under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act of 1972.
- Vendors to stock and sell items consistent with the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) Guidelines for Tuck Shop Operators.
- Vendors to 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.
Constitutionally, every citizen has the right to choose their trade, occupation, or profession freely, and the government has a duty to respect, protect, and promote this right.
Rather than placing the vendor sector under a massive administrative burden, the provincial government should take responsibility, work collaboratively with vendors, and empower them to meet basic food safety standards. And it is the responsibility of the Limpopo Department of Health and Local Municipalities’ Health and Public Safety units to inspect and test food products.