70 Eastern Cape learners hospitalised after suspected food poisoning

About 70 learners from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ngqeleni have been hospitalised following a suspected case of food poisoning, the Eastern Cape Department of Health confirmed on Wednesday.

Department spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the province’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded earlier in the day to the incident at the school.

“About 70 schoolchildren were transported to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha Regional Hospital, and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre,” said Manana.

He added that the team dispatched both ambulances and a helicopter to assist the learners.

“Some of the learners were on intravenous drips, and those in serious condition were airlifted to the hospital,” he said.

The incident comes amid growing concerns over food safety in South Africa. 

Last year, several provinces recorded outbreaks of food poisoning among schoolchildren, allegedly linked to contaminated food sold by street vendors.

Last year, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi reported that 23 people, most of them children aged between six and nine, died after consuming food from informal shops.

In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged all spaza shops and food outlets to register with their local municipalities to help curb the rise in food-borne illnesses.

IOL News previously reported that the Cabinet also moved to strengthen regulations. 

In June, it announced an immediate ban on the import of the toxic chemical rodenticide Terbufos, commonly known as “halephirimi,” after it was allegedly linked to the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the decision followed a report by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Food-Borne Illnesses, supported by the Ministerial Advisory Council (MAC), chaired by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

“The MAC, which comprises health experts from multiple disciplines, found that Terbufos, a highly hazardous chemical, was the likely cause of the children’s deaths,” said Ntshavheni.

The Department of Agriculture will lead public consultations on the Terbufos ban, in line with the government’s 2010 strategy to phase out toxic pesticides and promote safer alternatives.

Cape Times