A considerable number of children are feared to have been exposed to a food safety risk after dead rodents were reportedly found inside packaged Tsabana products.
Tsabana is a government-supplied food product manufactured by Sefalana Holding Company Limited’s subsidiary, Foods Botswana (Pty) Ltd.
The discovery has triggered an urgent food safety alert and raised serious questions about food safety controls at the Serowe-based manufacturer.
Foods Botswana is wholly owned by Sefalana Holding Company Limited, a company listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange.
The company produces Tsabana and Malutu exclusively for the government feeding scheme.
The affected product is 2.5kg Tsabana with batch number A16326 which was manufactured on 12 June 2026 and due to expire on 12 October 2026.
A savingram issued by the Kweneng District Council on 3 August 2026 described the matter as an ‘urgent food safety alert.’
The document states that dead rodents were identified in a packaged Tsabana product manufactured by Foods Botswana at Newtown Ward, Serowe.
‘This savingram serves as an urgent notification of a suspected food safety alert requiring coordinated multi urgency action,’ the council states.
Sources at the government enclave have expressed concern because Tsabana is produced for the government feeding programme. The product is distributed to children through public feeding schemes.
The Kweneng District Council called for immediate action to determine whether the affected batch had already reached other districts.
‘As a precautionary action, your esteemed office is requested to engage with all District Councils to establish availability of the food product in their jurisdiction,’ the savingram states.
Kweneng District Council also indicated that it was engaging Foods Botswana to obtain information on the distribution and traceability of the affected batch.
Reports also indicate that the incident has raised questions about how a dead rodent could allegedly end up inside sealed food packaging. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of hygiene, pest control, inspection and quality assurance systems at the manufacturing plant.The savingram calls for a coordinated response and immediate tracing of the affected product.
Contacted for comment, the Ministry of Health referred questions to the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Christopher Nyanga told Sunday Standard that the matter was already being handled by the latter ministry.
‘We have noted your enquiry; however we advise that you engage the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, which is currently seized with the matter at hand and is best placed to provide the relevant information and clarification,’ Nyanga said.
He said the Ministry of Health would only act after receiving a report from the responsible ministry.
‘The Ministry of Health will, at a later stage, receive a report from the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs whereupon any action or advice as to the way forward, could be made,’ he said.
Despite repeated attempts by Sunday Standard to obtain the company’s response, Sefalana had not responded by press time. The company was asked to explain how the alleged contamination occurred, whether the affected batch had been recalled, how much of the batch was produced and distributed, and whether other products had been affected. It was also asked to clarify what pest-control and quality assurance measures were in place at Foods Botswana’s Serowe facility.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural affairs also had not responded by press time.