Following the deaths of six children in Soweto from terbufos-contaminated food, the South African government has published a ban on the highly toxic pesticide in January 2026. Emeritus Professor Leslie London, who chaired the relevant ministerial committee, highlighted flaws in the country's outdated pesticide regulations. The ban awaits public comments until late February.
In October 2024, six children in Naledi, Soweto, died after consuming food contaminated with terbufos, a highly toxic pesticide restricted for agricultural use but circulating as cheap rat poison. The incident exposed weaknesses in South Africa's pesticide oversight, prompting a national response. Professor Leslie London, Emeritus at the University of Cape Town and former head of its Division of Public Health Medicine, was appointed chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on foodborne illness by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in December 2024. The committee recommended an immediate ban on terbufos in March 2025. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen initially raised concerns about potential crop failures and food insecurity but later prioritised human safety amid pressure. The ban was officially published in the Government Gazette in January 2026, with a 45-day comment period ending late February. London criticised the regulatory framework, noting the governing act dates to 1947, predating apartheid. “The whole regulatory system is so rotten that for years you could just walk into a co-op and buy these grade-one toxic red label pesticides,” he said. He attributed delays to industry influence, stating agricultural authorities have been “totally in the pockets of industry.” London linked poor refuse removal in townships to desperate use of such poisons. This reform effort builds on his decades-long work on pesticide effects, including his 1994 PhD on agrichemicals' neurotoxic impacts on farm workers.
