Independent Political Analyst GoodEnough Mashigo has sharply criticised Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen for prioritising photo opportunities in spaza shops over addressing the ongoing food poisoning crisis in South Africa.
Mashigo emphasised that Steenhuisen should be informing the public about how toxic substances are reaching untrained individuals who are handling food, rather than taking pictures for social media.
“The best thing Steenhuisen should do is to update the nation on how a very toxic poison that requires training and certification to use is becoming so easily available and has been found in food,” Mashigo stated.
His comments follow Steenhuisen’s recent visit to a tuckshop in Thabazimbi, Limpopo, amidst a troubling rise in food poisoning incidents that have claimed the lives of over 23 schoolchildren across the country.
Steenhuisen shared images of his inspection on X, captioning it: “I conducted an inspection at a tuckshop in Regorogile Township in Thabazimbi following incidents of foodborne illnesses around the country.”
Critics have accused him of using the food poisoning crisis to gain political leverage for himself and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Earlier this year, Steenhuisen faced backlash for appointing controversial podcaster Roman Cabanac as his chief of staff.
Following public outcry over Cabanac’s divisive remarks, Steenhuisen admitted that the appointment was a “mistake” and confirmed that he had asked Cabanac to step down from the role, which paid nearly R120 000 a month.
He acknowledged that the controversy had become a distraction from the work of his department and the government.
South African Communist Party General Secretary Solly Mapaila commented on the coalition government, stating that it is anchored in collaboration with the DA, which he described as the “beneficiaries of the racist and sexist economic, social, and political regimes of colonial and apartheid oppression”.
Mapaila pointed out that the DA’s leadership is predominantly white, which he believes reflects the ongoing legacy of colonialism and apartheid.
Political analyst Kim Heller condemned Steenhuisen’s actions as a “cheap and highly insensitive publicity stunt”.
Heller argued that his visit undermined the seriousness of the food poisoning crisis, which has devastated families across the nation.
“It is reminiscent of how in 2022 he travelled to Ukraine and posed with a rocket, as if war is a new form of tourism. It is unbecoming for a leader of a political party,” she remarked.
In response to the criticism, DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp defended Steenhuisen’s visit, asserting that it was not intended for political gain.
Aucamp stated that all ministers had been asked to raise public awareness about the food poisoning issue, which was precisely what Steenhuisen was doing by visiting the spaza shop.
“I am furthermore of the opinion that these unfounded accusations of political point scoring are, in themselves, the actual attempt to score political points,” Aucamp explained.
Steenhuisen added that the photograph of him in the shop was taken by someone else, not by himself, and reiterated that he had provided an extensive briefing on the food poisoning crisis during an intergovernmental media briefing the previous week.
The Star