More than 150 pupils in Mthatha and dozens in Bushbuckridge were hospitalised within weeks.
The National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) has called on authorities to investigate food poisoning incidents related to the National School Nutrition Programme.
Recently, more than 150 pupils from Gobizizwe Agricultural School near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape were hospitalised after they allegedly consumed a meal at school.
A few weeks ago, more than 30 children from MP Mokoena Primary School in Bushbuckridge were treated for food poisoning after they allegedly consumed oranges from the school kitchen.
NASGB national chair Matakanye Matakanya said it was surprising that poisoning incidents were still occurring despite vendors being barred from school premises.
He said the continuation of the incidents showed that the meal supplied by the school might be the cause.
NASGB demands action
“Whoever supplies food that negatively affects our children must be stopped. Parents and community members must stand up and fight against this ongoing problem.
We are calling on the authorities to investigate the food suppliers,” said Matakanya.
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According to the provincial department of health, during the Mthatha incident, paramedics and health officials attended to pupils who complained of stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea, before transferring the most serious cases to nearby hospitals.
A few days ago, 70 pupils were rushed to hospitals, with an additional 30 later admitted with similar symptoms.
The health department indicated that the poisoning appeared to have stemmed from a meal served as part of the school nutrition programme.
Malibongwe Mtima, the spokesperson for the Eastern Cape department of education, declined to comment and referred questions to the department of health.
Calls for supplier audits
Education expert Hendrick Makaneta said there was a need to investigate the National School Nutrition Programme suppliers so that the food poisoning in schools could be curbed.
Makaneta said the painful thing was that the poisoning occurred while some families were still trying to heal after losing children who died last year after eating snacks bought from spaza shops.
“We expect the state to put in place relevant and necessary mechanisms to ensure that school nutrition is safe,” he said.
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“Now that we are sitting with this problem, we expect the Eastern Cape education authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, working hand in glove with health experts to identify the cause.
“Immediate action should be taken to ensure food safety in schools and to prevent future occurrences.
“We demand a full audit of how food is handled, along with compliance certificates from suppliers. We have to prioritise the safety of pupils at all times, and unfortunately, at this time, we have failed our pupils.”
Accountability
Makaneta said someone had to take accountability for food poisoning because the life of every child mattered.
Horatio Hendricks, DA shadow MEC for education, said it was imperative that the provincial government move with speed to identify the source of the contamination, suspend any unsafe supplies and ensure no other schools in the province are at risk.
“We are demanding that the Eastern Cape departments of education and health urgently investigate the cause of the contamination and make their findings public.
“This must include a full audit of food handling, storage and supplier compliance at Gobizizwe Agricultural School, as well as a review of all other school nutrition sites in the OR Tambo District.
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“The DA will write to the MEC for education, Fundile Gade, to demand a full public audit of all school kitchens in the Eastern Cape within 60 days, with a district-by-district breakdown of certification status.”
Department of basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga did not respond to questions by the time of publication.
