The surge in food poisoning in several schools across the country has prompted the Limpopo provincial executive council (Exco) to establish a joint operating committee (JOC) to devise a unified strategy to curb further incidents.
The JOC will comprise various government departments, including the Office of the Premier, education, health, social development, cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs, and Limpopo economic development, environment, and tourism.
Premier Phophi Ramathuba said this critical issue, which has raised significant concern among parents, educators and health officials, was also discussed during the recent special executive council meeting.
“In its commitment to ensuring the health and safety of the learners, the Exco has resolved to implement a series of urgent measures aimed at tackling this crisis effectively,” said Ramathuba.
Health and safety documentation
“Key recommendations from the meeting include vendor accountability, whereby all food vendors will be required to maintain verifiable documentation demonstrating the origins of their products.
“This includes receipts and invoices detailing suppliers, purchase dates, and product descriptions.
“This measure will enable authorities to trace product origins and hold suppliers accountable for food safety.
“A ban will be imposed on the sale of snacks from brands identified to contain foreign objects or lacking expiry dates.
“This is a crucial step in safeguarding the children from potential harm.”
If a vendor has the required health and safety documentation and has signed a responsibility clause, they will be exempt from the education department’s temporary suspension.
All daycare centres, including drop-in centres and old-age facilities, will be required to develop or review their food safety protocols to ensure compliance with health standards.
She said these recommendations will extend to all government facilities that sell food within their premises or within a prescribed distance from their entrances.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our children and will continue to work collaboratively to prevent further incidents of food poisoning in our schools.
“The safety of our learners is non-negotiable, and we are dedicated to implementing these measures swiftly and effectively,” she said.
Meanwhile, the School Governing Body Federation in the province said it welcomes the unbanning of vendors who operate around schools.
Support for unbanning of of food sales in schools
Derrick Mosoana, the convener of the federation, stated that they support the Limpopo Exco’s decision to lift the ban on food sales in schools.
“We recognise this step as critical to allowing hawkers and food vendors to resume their livelihoods and ensuring learners have access to meals and snacks,” said Mosoana.
“However, we strongly oppose the directive that imposes new food safety monitoring responsibilities on school governing bodies [SGB].
“SGB members are community volunteers, typically engaged part-time, who have taken on these roles to provide guidance and support to our schools.
“The expectation that they monitor health certificates, verify sources of stock, and demand documentation from vendors is unrealistic and places an undue burden on our SGB members.”
He continued: “This role requires specialised skills, which are beyond the capacity and mandate of SGBs. We call on the provincial government to reconsider this directive and instead explore alternative solutions for ensuring food safety.
“We believe that implementing a decentralised approach to school nutrition programmes, similar to what is done with daycare feeding schemes, will enable more efficient oversight and relieve SGBs of responsibilities that distract them from their primary duties in educational governance.
“Our commitment remains to fostering safe, supportive, and healthy learning environments.
“We urge the government to work with SGBs to find practical solutions for food safety that do not impose impossible demands on our volunteers,” Mosoana said.
