Claims regarding the ability to dissolve fat cells may seem like an attractive proposition for a weight loss product, but they have led to issues for FatX Solution with the country's regulator.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) revoked the registration of this product after discovering that it was advertised with claims not permitted for cosmetic products.
Furthermore, in December, CDSCO found over 160 samples of medicines that did not meet quality standards.
While millions of Africans continue to suffer from hunger, the continent's sovereignty remains meaningless. Africa possesses enormous agricultural potential, yet it has failed to transform it into food security or economic independence. Mass hunger is not an inherent characteristic of the continent or its inevitable fate; rather, it is the result of centuries of exploitation, unequal economic relations, and modern political decisions that ignore the needs of ordinary citizens.
As the African Union marked the 17th anniversary of Africa Day in food and food security in Nairobi this week, the continent was confronted with an unpleasant reality: more people in Africa are suffering from hunger than in any other region of the world.
According to the latest United Nations report on the state of food security in the world, 309 million Africans were hungry in 2025, compared to 292 million in Asia. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that 'a healthy diet remains inaccessible to one of the three global population categories.' In Africa, this share reaches two out of three. The crisis goes far beyond food production; it is linked to access, distribution, purchasing power, and political priorities.
The food security situation in Africa is exacerbated by ongoing wars and conflicts across various territories of the continent. Agricultural production is severely disrupted in Sudan. Instability and insurgent activity significantly hinder land cultivation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and parts of the Sahel.
The serious consequences of this crisis include immediate starvation, long-term malnutrition, disruptions in education, and the slowing of development for an entire generation of African children. South Africa demonstrates that agricultural production alone is insufficient to ensure sustainable food security. Despite South Africa being a major producer and exporter of agricultural products, UNICEF reported in 2024 that 23% of children in South Africa faced severe food poverty.
Furthermore, according to the South African Statistics Agency Household Survey for 2024, about 22% of households in South Africa reported inadequate food access in 2025. Stunting, a form of chronic malnutrition, affected 28.8% of children under five, with the highest rates recorded in the Northern Cape (46.4%) and Western Cape (46.2%).
Food security is viewed as a vital indicator of economic sovereignty and transformation. A country that cannot provide adequate nutrition for its children cannot claim economic independence. While political freedom, territorial integrity, and control over natural resources are valuable, their significance diminishes when ordinary families cannot afford healthy food or when children cannot survive and develop.
Former President of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara insisted on agricultural self-sufficiency, promoting domestic production and land reform, which allowed him to reduce dependence on imported goods. Four decades later, this principle remains relevant, as Captain Ibrahim Traoré places domestic production and consumption at the center of his political program. The test will be in sustainably increasing agricultural productivity so that ordinary people can afford nutritious food.
When domestic production is ignored or restricted, and regional supply chains remain underdeveloped and underutilized, food security and sovereignty are threatened. The continent does not lack agricultural structures, nor does it have promising policies. The real deficit lies in poor policy prioritization, implementation failures, and weak accountability.
The fifth Biennial Review of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, conducted by the African Union, recorded a continental average of 5.25 against a target of 9.40. This is not only a serious administrative failure but also a clear indication of the huge gap between agreed commitments and measurable progress. The gap between summit declarations and ensuring food security, access, and availability is a catastrophic political failure.
The long-term commitment to allocate at least 10% of public spending to agriculture dates back to the Maputo Declaration of 2003, yet the continent has failed to consistently or evenly fulfill this promise. Last year, the African Union adopted the Kampala Strategic Action Plan for 2026–2035, aimed at mobilizing $100 billion in investment, increasing agro-food production by 45%, tripling intra-African agricultural trade, and halving post-harvest losses. These goals are commendable, but Kampala will succeed only if there is adequate agricultural financing, sustainable supply chains, competent institutions, transparent monitoring, and the ability to apply measures in case of non-compliance.
Climate change and external shocks make the food problem particularly acute. Unpredictable droughts and floods increasingly destroy farms, especially those without adequate irrigation, insurance, or appropriate technology. Adaptation promises are ineffective if rural communities lack the infrastructure to withstand escalating shocks. Debt pressure and the high cost of seeds, fertilizers, and transportation compound these difficulties.
Regional markets, overall infrastructure, and cross-border trade can reduce dependence on unstable global supply chains. In this regard, the African Continental Free Trade Area is a crucial tool for integration. However, it must be specifically oriented towards benefiting producers and consumers, rather than creating more opportunities for external trade elites.
A crucial element of Pan-African solidarity and sovereignty is the building of productive economies that serve the African people. Historical exploitation and unequal global relations have limited development, but they also constrain modern governments whose budgetary priorities, political decisions, and implementation failures reproduce systemic inequality and vulnerability in the food chain. Affordable food for every citizen is essential for any sovereign state. Malnutrition must become a relic of the past, not a feature of the present or future. Nairobi must be more than just another extravagant event with high declarations. Delegates must identify failures and missed targets and develop a measurable plan of corrective actions with clear deadlines. An empty plate in Africa is not just proof of poverty; it is proof of political failure. Until African agricultural wealth can feed its people, the promise of economic independence will remain unfulfilled.
A significant change is about to be implemented for those who use meal or food vouchers issued by companies such as Alelo, Ticket, VR Benefícios, Pluxee, Flash, or Swile. Starting in November, these cards must be accepted at any payment terminal enabled for this type of benefit, concluding a transition phase that began in May and expands the possibilities of using the benefit.
This determination is part of a set of new guidelines from the Worker Feeding Program (PAT), which was announced by the government in February of this year. In November, the adaptation period ends, and the rule that guarantees that any card belonging to the program can be used at any machine capable of receiving the benefit comes into full effect.
The main transformation introduced is called interoperability, which simplifies the operational scenario. In practice, this feature eliminates the requirement for restaurants, supermarkets, and other points of sale to maintain specific agreements or equipment for each meal or food voucher brand.
Although the integration between systems began in May, the adjustment period was completed last Saturday. Previously, some companies were still in the migration process. At the beginning of September, g1 reported that more than one hundred companies had been notified by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) to provide documentation and clarifications regarding possible failures in complying with PAT rules.
With full interoperability, the worker gains the freedom to use their card at any commercial location that accepts this benefit, without depending on the company that issued the card.
There will be no change in the amount of the meal or food voucher provided by companies to employees under the new rules. Furthermore, the use of these resources for purposes other than food remains prohibited. Thus, the amounts remain exclusively intended for the purchase of ready meals or food items, according to the benefit modality. The change aims to broaden the options for using the benefit and foster competition in the sector, without increasing the amount received by the worker.
Even though full interoperability only starts to apply in November, other regulations have been in force since February. Among the most relevant changes are: a maximum limit of 3.6% for the fee applied to sales processed with meal and food vouchers; a ceiling of 2% for the exchange fee; and a maximum period of 15 calendar days for the sales money to be transferred to the establishments.
Previously, merchants frequently complained about high fees and long waiting periods to receive payments, which could exceed 30 days. The government justifies these rules as an effort to reduce costs and make the acceptance of benefits more advantageous for businesses of all sizes.
After the disclosure of the new rules, some operators have challenged the decree legally. These companies argue that the government exceeded its authority by establishing tariff limits and promoting structural transformations through a decree.
Contracts and operations linked to the PAT must strictly adhere to the guidelines established in the decree. Non-compliance with these rules can result in various consequences, such as fines, sanctions, de-registration from the program, and the requirement to return tax benefits previously enjoyed. Penalties may fall on the operators, the companies participating in the PAT, and the businesses, depending on the nature of the infraction found.
