Eight learners from Mount
Nicholas Primary School in Libode were taken to hospital on Monday after
consuming what has been described as unsafe food products from the school
tuckshop.
School principal Cwayita Ntsume
said learners started complaining of stomach aches, nausea and showed signs of
itchiness. This, she said, happened after the school break during which they
had bought items from the school tuckshop. “They were not getting better and so
were taken to St Barnabas Hospital. When the teachers got to the hospital more learners
arrived showing similar symptoms. Drip was administered to them. They said they
bought chips and ice from the school tuckshop which is rented by South
Africans. On Monday a delegation from OR Tambo District and Nyandeni Local
municipalities along with police officers arrived at the school, Ntsume said.
Nyandeni Local Municipality
spokesperson Ncebakazi Kolwane said the local authority was concerned with the
alarming incidents of learners consuming unsafe food products. “This incident, combined with a previous case where a child from
Thungwini suffered severe health issues after consuming chips from a local tuck
shop, raises significant alarms about food safety standards in our schools,”
she said.
The tuck shop
owner, Kolwane said, claims to source her products from a supplier in
KwaZulu-Natal. “While our investigation is ongoing, we urge all food vendors,
especially those serving our children, to adhere strictly to safety and quality
standards. The health and well-being of our students is our top priority and we
will not tolerate any negligence that puts them at risk.”
Kolwane said the
municipality would like to assure the community that health inspectors from OR
Tambo District Municipality working with local law enforcement were conducting
thorough investigations. “We are committed to identifying the root causes and
ensuring accountability for those responsible for distributing unsafe food
products.. Violations will lead to serious consequences, including legal action
and the revocation of licenses for those who fail to meet safety standards,”
she said.
OR Tambo District Municipality
spokesperson, Zimkhitha Macingwane, and education department provincial
spokesperson, Malibongwe Mtima, had not responded at the time of writing.
