22 Children Hospitalized After Consuming Poisonous Food
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Durban, KwaZulu-Natal – Twenty-two learners from Ngaqa Primary School in the King Cetshwayo District were rushed to hospital after falling ill after consuming snacks bought from a local vendor. The incident has prompted calls for stricter regulations on food vendors operating near schools.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has urged the provincial government to tighten regulations allowing vendors to sell food items to school children within or near school premises. According to the DA’s Sakhile Mngadi, the learners were hospitalized after consuming snacks from a vendor operating near the school.
The incident is part of a growing trend of food poisoning cases involving school children across South Africa. Several other schools in recent weeks have reported similar incidents, leading to concerns about the safety of food sold to learners.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has classified these incidents as a potential threat to national security and has recommended that the Department of Health coordinate investigations into the matter.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to address the issue, noting that the incidents ultimately lead to ill-health or even death.
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) has called on the Department of Basic Education to invest in training food handlers in schools to ensure they adhere to proper food safety and handling practices.
As investigations into the Ngaqa Primary School incident continue, the government is facing increasing pressure to take decisive action to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
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