Mayibuye Mandela pens scathing letter to Ramaphosa on his 72nd birthday

Activist Mayibuye Mandela has penned a scathing letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa on his 72nd birthday, demanding decisive action against illegal spaza shops.

This comes after food-borne illnesses from the shops claimed 22 children's lives in recent weeks.

On Friday, the president announced the closure of implicated spaza shops and regulation of others.

“Spaza shops implicated in the deaths of children must be closed with immediate effect. All spaza shops and other food handling facilities must be registered within municipalities which operate within 21 days from today [Friday]. Any shop not registered within 21 days and that does not meet all health standards will be closed,” Ramaphosa said.

Mandela deemed this insufficient.

“How can you, in good conscience, celebrate your life while the lives of South Africans, specially our children, are being snuffed out under your watch? How can you smile and cut your cake when countless young souls are being lost, poisoned and discarded in the very country you claim to lead?” Mandela said.

“How many more children must die before you take action, Mr President? How many more families must bury their children before you realise the gravity of the crisis?”

He accused Ramaphosa of failing South Africans.

“How can you allow any of these deadly establishments to remain open? Every day that passes with the shops trading is another death sentence for our people. The poison continues to flow into the hearts of our communities and you, as head of state, have failed to stop it. Your failure to act has cost us dearly. You have failed to protect our people. You have failed to protect the children of this nation.”

Ramaphosa celebrated his birthday in Brazil on Sunday ahead of the G20 summit. While birthday wishes poured in, Mandela urged him to take accountability.

“Mr President, on your birthday I urge you to stop ignoring the bloodshed on our streets. Stop ignoring the pain of grieving parents. Stop pretending the lives lost don't matter. You cannot continue to sit idly by as our children continue to die in your presence. You cannot continue to act as if the economic interests of a few are worth more than the lives of our children.

“Enough is enough. You must do what is right. You must protect South Africans. Close the illegal spaza shops. Let us take back our country. We are not here to wish you well, Mr President. We are here to demand action. Do the right thing.”

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