The Free State education department is calling on municipalities and law enforcement to act quickly to stop street vendors and spaza shops from selling harmful food products.
This follows a foodborne illness incident at Daluvuyo Primary School in Welkom that resulted in 48 pupils being admitted to the hospital.
The department attested that the pupils received care at Bongani Hospital. Another pupil was brought to RH Matjhabeng by his parents and then released.
The pupils reportedly started exhibiting severe symptoms, such as skin irritation, itching, and uncontrollable discomfort, during school assembly early on Wednesday morning.
There have been reports of some pupils rolling on the ground in agony.
Such incidents disrupt teaching and learning, especially when pupils are busy with year-end exams, according to Mamiki Maboya, the Free State’s MEC for education.
“We are happy that environmental health inspectors and police are investigating the matter, but we are told that learners bought snacks and chocolates from the spaza shops and vendors operating near and within the school,” said Maboya.
Health and safety protocols
Following the incident, the management of the school has been directed to thoroughly examine the presence of vendors on or close to school property.
Additionally, the school and the education department are collaborating to improve future health and safety protocols.
“We are evaluating current policies governing the sale of food items to learners on school grounds,” said Maboya.
“The department is exploring legislative options to enhance the regulation of vendors around schools.
“This may include engagements with municipal authorities and other relevant stakeholders to establish enforceable guidelines that prioritise learner safety.”
According to Maboya, the community must shield kids from health hazards.
She urged parents and schools to be proactive in policing food vendors and making sure that students are only served healthy food.
Please look into the situation with poisoning objectively. Look at the pupils and check them thoroughly.
The poisonings are just too co-incidental.
Please do not stop the investigation at the foreign spaza shops.
Be thorough and conduct a proper investigation.
I was at a school for 24 years and know what teens are capable of.
I think foreign spaza shops must be invested. Municipalities should enforce the bylaws and hire heath inspectors full time. Regularly spaza shops mu be inspected and if they find rotten food and out dated staff arrest and closing of such spaza must be close down. Where is our government we put into power because their there to look after the people. I never heard President or any Ministers saying anything. I think it is high time we elect those who will be responsible enough to look after the people. May if this can affect one minister we will see positive reaction.
It’s high time we stop playing a blame game on spaza shops only how about we look into health and safety rules in South Africa for most of our big sellers too – how many times does people get sick from eating tinned fish and chicken bought at highly recommended stores: how often do we take into consideration the type of foods we purchase from these shops – how sure are we that foods like chicken, eggs and milk tinned foods etc we buy from these shops are good for our health? 95% of what are sold in butcheries etc is hybrid including our veggies that are not even cleaned properly but they are on shelves in shops – let’s have a broader view of what is going on inside receiving areas of shops and think again before we blame …. health and safety must be practice in all shops that are selling food not only snacks….
Let the parents stop their Children from buying into Spaza shops and food vendor’s also let our People stop hiring out their premises to this outsiders I hope this issue will be resolved
Let’s stop our children, from buying their commodities also our if can stop renting out their Premises to this people the situation will be better
Talk and talk and more talk no action. High official kids never get affected or die. Now they ask parents to do their jobs. Shame on these people the blood of these kids is on them.