Mpumalanga primary school pupils treated for food poisoning after eating oranges

The Mpumalanga Department of Education is investigating after 30 pupils were rushed to hospital after showing symptoms of food poisoning.  

Primary school pupils rushed to hospital

It is alleged that on Thursday last week the pupils from MP Mokoena Primary School in Marite, Bushbuckridge, were rushed to Mapulaneng Hospital where they were treated for food poisoning. 

They complained about headaches, vomiting and had upset stomachs. 

The Mpumalanga Department of Education’s head of communication Jasper Zwane confirmed the incident and said an investigation was underway to establish the cause of the illness. 

“Indeed, there were 30 learners who complained about stomach pains. They were rushed to the hospital, they were observed and released the same day. They were back in class the following day. The cause is yet to be confirmed,” said Zwane. 

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Mpumalanga Department of Health spokesperson Dumisani Malamule added: “All the learners were stable, none had severe symptoms. They were seen by doctors. All the learners were discharged with treatment to take home on the same day.”

Oranges blamed for food poisoning

A parent, who did not want to be named, said during a meeting held at the school, it was established that the children had eaten oranges just an hour before they started vomiting.  

“We were told that our children were given oranges contaminated with the chemicals used to spray at the farm. Remember, these are young children, mostly from the lower grades, so they did not wash the fruit before consuming them,” said a worried mother. 

Recently, South Africa has experienced many food poisoning incidents in which pupils were hospitalised. 

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