The government has pulled out all the stops to contain the food poisoning calamity that has killed more than 20 people and left nearly 900 sick, as it classified the escalating public health crisis as a national disaster.

The move, announced by cabinet ministers on Thursday, is the most significant step yet to tackle the public health crisis after President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered the immediate closure of spaza shops linked to child deaths from poisoning. The classification also comes as the nation grapples with 890 reported cases, mainly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal...

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