Despite a ban on illegal sales, the highly toxic pesticide terbufos – commonly known as “halephirimi” (“the sun won’t set”), which has been linked to the deaths of more than 20 children – continues to be sold openly for as little as R10 in Johannesburg.
Street vendors are prohibited from selling the chemical, but it remains readily available for those looking for a deadly form of rodent control, reports IOL.
In the CBD, a street vendor whose stall displays earrings, nail polish and various skin-lightening creams, also sells small packets of the lethal powder.
“You just put some food inside a container and add this powder to the food, then place it under the bed. When the rats eat it, they die,” said the woman, who asked not to be named.
There are no warning labels or written instructions on how to handle the substance safely.
This is despite Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announcing a ban on the illegal sale of terbufos in November 2024 after the children’s deaths were linked to the chemical.
Where does the deadly poison come from? “My mother stocks it, but where she gets it from, I don’t know,” the vendor said.
Almost every street has a vendor selling similar products.
“It makes me feel angry. Knowing that people continue to sell something so dangerous, even after lives have been lost, shows a lack of care for human life. It feels like profit is being put before people’s safety,” said Khethelo Zondi, a mother from Orlando East, Soweto.
She said she does not believe enough is being done.
“While there may be laws in place, enforcement seems weak if the poison is still being sold openly. The government needs to take stronger action, increase inspections, and punish those who sell it illegally, to protect the public, especially children.”
Leslie London, a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Cape Town, said no street vendors are licensed to sell terbufos.
“Any sale in the CBD is by individuals without authorisation,” he said. “In the past, it was easy for anyone to go into an agricultural store to buy any chemical they wanted for pest control. There was absolutely no product stewardship exercised by the companies formulating pesticides like terbufos.”
London, who is a pesticide expert, said the regulatory system is outdated and ineffective.
“The Department of Agriculture has a regulatory system for pesticides governed by an Act that is 78 years old (Act 36 of 1947). It is so old that it predates apartheid. It cannot be argued that it is fit for purpose any longer.”
He described terbufos as one of the most toxic pesticides known.
“It is an organophosphate pesticide causing nerve poisoning. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has a classification for acute toxic chemicals and terbufos is in the highest category possible.”
City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nathatisi Modingoane said authorities were concerned about the continued illegal sales.
He said after the banning of terbufos sales by spaza shops and informal traders, law enforcement and environmental health operations had intensified, including in the Johannesburg CBD.
However, sales continue. He told IOL that when officials find large volumes of the product during inspections, the product is not confiscated by the city, as it falls under the regulatory authority of the National Department of Agriculture.
Gauteng police said no arrests had been made. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said that fines were previously issued to people who were found selling the products, and the pesticides were seized.
The Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development told IOL it could not comment as it is not responsible for monitoring or controlling the illegal sales of the chemical.
Departmental spokesperson Danisile Sathekge referred the questions to the Department of Agriculture, which said terbufos was highly restricted and may only be sold to certified and trained pest control operators for agricultural use under the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act of 1947.
“People selling it on the street are doing so illegally, and investigations into how they access the active ingredient products is ongoing in collaboration with law enforcement agencies,” said Jolene Van Wyk, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture.
She added that the department had issued a gazette notice inviting public comment on a complete ban.
The January 14 notice replaces one published on December 1 and calls for public input until 27 February 2026.
It proposes that the ban should take effect from 28 February 2026, following Cabinet’s approval of a ban on terbufos in June 2025.
Terbufos is banned in Angola, the Comoros, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Gauteng Premier bans terbufos sales at spaza shops after poisonings
SA dragging its heels on pesticide ban, experts warn
Health experts urge banning of toxic pesticides after children’s deaths
Pesticides may have a role in Gauteng ‘food poisonings’