500 sign up for listeriosis class action

At least 500 victims of the deadly listeriosis outbreak have signed up for a class-action lawsuit to hold Tiger Brands legally and financially liable for the loss and devastation caused by the disease between 2017 and 2018. Human rights lawyer Richard Spoor invited those affected to come forward in a nationwide advertising campaign launched last week, notes a Weekend Argus report. Spoor, whose team was granted permission to launch the class action by the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) in December, reportedly said he wanted justice to prevail in what he termed a David-versus-Goliath matter. ‘There were about 206 people who died. About 200 women had miscarriages. This was the biggest food-poisoning case in history. I have not been able to find a reference in any case where such a huge number of people died,’ he said. The source of the outbreak in 2017 and 2018 was traced to a Tiger Brands factory in Polokwane. The Department of Health said there were at least 1 000 victims countrywide. Spoor was confident they had a strong case against Tiger Brands. ‘It is a big case because there are so many who died, but it won’t be difficult to win. It may take one to three years to finalise,’ said Spoor, whose legal team included medical doctors and advocates. Spoor said they wanted the court to punish Tiger Brands by making an order of constitutional damages and to award additional compensation for the violation of people’s rights. Tiger Brand’s chief corporate affairs officer, Mary Jane Morifi, reportedly said the company was committed to acting with honesty and integrity throughout the process. She said they would work closely with the attorneys for the claimants so that the matter could be expedited.

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