Family food poisoning ordeal
Store launches probe after three fall ill
SHOPRITE/CHECKERS is investigating allegations of food poisoning after a Humansdorp school principal fell ill after consuming Checkers brand Karoo-style boerewors.
Two weeks ago, Lungiso High School principal Sebenzile Hoko went to the Checkers in Da Gama Street, Jeffreys Bay, after work to buy some groceries.
“I bought Karoo sausage, grapes, fish, bread, potatoes and milk,” Hoko said.
After eating some of the grapes, he ate the sausage and immediately began feeling ill.
“I felt bad. I [went] to the toilet and my stomach ran the whole night,” Hoko said.
He claims that the next day at about 6am while preparing to go to work, he began to feel nauseous. “I started to sweat, becoming weak. I fell on the couch.”
Hoko phoned for help. His wife, brother and son arrived at his flat, situated behind the Checkers complex in Da Gama Street, and took him to Greenacres Hospital.
“The doctor diagnosed food poisoning and I was put on a drip and discharged later with instructions to visit my doctor for further tests,” Hoko said.
His doctor’s note, seen by The Herald, states that he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, or stomach flu. Gastroenteritis is indicative of food poisoning.
Unaware at the time of Hoko’s diagnosis, his brother, Mbuyiseli, and son, Likhaya, later ate the leftover sausage.
The following day Mbuyiseli began showing the same signs and was taken to Greenacres Hospital, receiving the same diagnosis.
That evening his son, 17, a Grade 11 pupil at Muir College in Uitenhage, was admitted to Cuyler Clinic.
Hoko’s wife, Nomvula, then went to Checkers to complain. To add insult to injury, Hoko claims when his wife spoke to the store manager, Marthinus Mulder, she was treated rudely.
Hoko went to the store to follow up on the alleged behaviour towards his wife, and alleges that he was not even afforded the courtesy of being listened to.
When The Herald contacted the store, Mulder directed all queries to the Shoprite/ Checkers head office.
Corporate communication manager and spokeswoman for the group, Sarita van Wyk, said the matter was still under investigation with their insurance department.
Van Wyk said the group took allegations of illness caused by any of their products seriously.
“These cases are thoroughly investigated to enable us to take remedial action should it prove to be true.”
Van Wyk said the stores adhered to stringent food safety hygiene and product handling requirements to ensure that food products prepared on the premises remained fresh at all times.
Hoko’s wife returned the packaging, and the shelf life had not expired at the time of purchase.
Van Wyk said there was more than 20kg of the same batch of Karoo sausage sold by that particular store and that no problems were reported by other customers.
Hoko’s case is still under investigation.