The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) welcomes this important decision by Cabinet and commends the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Foodborne Illnesses appointed by the Minister of Health.

On 4 February 2025, the Commission met with the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture to address the human rights implications of agricultural pesticides, particularly Terbufos. In its presentation to Parliament, the Commission strongly advocated for a national ban on Terbufos and called for a shift towards regenerative agriculture and enhanced government action to protect public health.

The Portfolio Committee responded positively to the SAHRC’s proposal to establish a multi-sectoral task team with a six-month mandate to identify viable, effective alternatives to Terbufos and other Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs).

On 20 May 2025, the Commission joined the South African People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins (SAPToA) in making representations to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture. These parliamentary representations followed public hearings convened by the People’s Tribunal during Human Rights Month, where survivors of pesticide exposure, trade unions, farmworkers and dwellers, researchers, and medical experts gave testimony on the devastating health effects of agrotoxins, especially on poor and marginalised communities. The Tribunal was adjudicated by Judge Navi Pillay, Commissioner Philile Ntuli, and Dr Sophia Kisting-Cairncross.

The Commission commends the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, under the leadership of Honourable Dina Pule, for advancing participatory democracy by ensuring that the voices of farmworkers and poor communities are central to policymaking.

The Cabinet’s decision to ban Terbufos is a historic milestone in the realisation of critical socio-economic rights, including the right to health, clean water, a safe environment, and adequate food. It reflects an emerging shift towards a people-centred food system, where communities are empowered to determine their own approaches to production, markets, ecology, and culture, aligned with principles of social, economic, and environmental justice.

The Commission continues to share its heartfelt condolences with the families who lost their children in Naledi, Soweto, and in other parts of the country due to pesticide-related illnesses linked to Terbufos.

In the wake of Cabinet’s announcement, the Commission will continue to:

• Monitor the implementation and enforcement of the ban,
• Advocate for the prohibition of other Highly Hazardous Pesticides, and
• Support the state’s fulfilment of international treaty obligations related to public health and environmental protection.

[ENDS]