The alarming trend of food poisoning incidents affecting schoolchildren has now shifted its focus from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), as 43 pupils from Ngaqa Primary School in Mtubatuba have been hospitalised following the consumption of potentially contaminated snacks.
This alarming episode marks a troubling continuation of food safety issues in schools, raising urgent concerns among local authorities and parents.
Reports indicate that the learners fell ill after consuming snacks bought from vendors operating near the school. These vendors, who are largely unregulated, are linked to wholesalers selling products produced by a factory in Port Shepstone.
The snacks in question, known as Vickins, have been implicated in the incident, which saw 21 of the affected children receiving specialised medical treatment following their transfer from Machibini clinic to Hlabisa Hospital. Current estimates suggest that admission numbers could increase as investigations proceed.
In response to this latest incident, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in KZN has addressed Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, urging him to implement stricter regulations regarding food vendors supplying schools.
DA spokesperson for basic education, Sakhile Mngandi, voiced the party’s concern about the increasing prevalence of food poisoning in schools.
Citing a recent tragedy in Soweto in which six children died after consuming contaminated snacks, Mngadi stressed the critical need for governmental oversight.
“This latest incident comes just a few days after six young children from Soweto died after consuming contaminated snacks. The DA welcomes the recent involvement of NATJOINTS in treating these incidents as potential threats to public safety,” he said.
Furthermore, the DA has called for a holistic approach to address this crisis, highlighting the necessity of policy implementation.
“The KZN Department of Education must take action to ensure safety measures are put in place,” Mngadi added, advocating for stronger collaboration between MEC Hlomuka and his counterpart in Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi, to bolster municipal law enforcement regarding food safety.
In light of the incidents, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi assured the public that the government was committed to deciphering the underlying issues.
The National Health Department has mobilised 80 health inspectors to investigate substances that may have caused the food poisoning outbreaks reported in both Gauteng and KZN, emphasising a proactive stance to ensure children’s safety.
The DA has also issued a statement urging parents to take precautions by purchasing snacks exclusively from accredited outlets to safeguard their children against an increasing trend of food-borne illnesses.
On Tuesday, while speaking to Newzroom Africa, toxicologist, Dr Gerhard Verdoorn welcomed the government’s efforts in tracing what the minister described as a chemical agent.
“I agree and previously said so on the programme. We have been fighting about this issue of street pesticides for years. We have been pleading with the police. Now the Department of Health is waking up. Losing our children to pesticide exposure is socially and morally unacceptable in our country,” he said.
The Star