More than 140 pupils treated after suspected food poisoning
14-year-old in ICU, while tests conducted, shops closed
ore than 140 pupils from six schools in the Enoch Mgijima region had to be treated for suspected food poisoning last week.
Children at Edlelweni Public Primary School started showing signs of itching, dizziness and high temperatures after they apparently ate ice bombs sold at the gate.
More than 55 children were rushed to Lizo Ngcana Clinic in Unifound, with 34 then taken to Frontier Hospital.
Pupils at John Noah High, Mpendulo Public Primary, Lesseyton Primary, Ndlovukazi High and Van Coller Primary schools also fell ill after buying snacks from hawkers.
On Tuesday this week, The Rep learnt that pupils at a seventh school, Lukhanji Primary School, were sent home after showing the same symptoms.
Edlelweni principal, Zukisani Sondlo, said the children became ill after buying sweets, ice bombs and chocolates from street vendors at the gate.
“We then had one child reporting itching and we quickly wrote a letter to produce at the clinic.
“The learners kept on coming and we rushed them to the clinic,” he said.
MEC for health, Nomakhosazana Meth, called for food safety inspections to be intensified and for action to be taken against shop owners found to be selling expired goods, her spokesperson Mkhululi Ndamase said.
“The number of learners presenting with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, itchiness, high temperatures and shortness of breath, has now increased to 143,” Ndamase said.
“This comes after a further 23 learners from a third school in Mlungisi township in Komani were rushed to Frontier Hospital this morning.
“On Thursday, 120 learners were treated in hospital and a local clinic respectively.”
Ndamase said there had been a spike in suspected food poisoning cases around the country in recent weeks, with at least two children reported to have died after eating expired snacks which they bought at a shop in Gauteng.
“Although there have been no reported fatalities in the Eastern Cape as a result of suspected food poisoning, one learner is recovering in ICU.”
Meth called for shop owners selling expired goods to be held accountable.
“The learner is in a stable condition in ICU. An urgent chest X-ray will be done today. We wish her a speedy recovery.
“We are calling on municipalities working with relevant stakeholders like law enforcement agencies to intensify food safety inspection operations because we cannot afford to have shop owners selling expired goods to our children, which at times includes expired baby formula,” said Meth.
She said the law must take its course against shop owners selling expired food items.
The Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972 and the
MNational Health Act of 2003 empowers municipalities to conduct food safety inspections, fine transgressors, close shops that do not comply with the law, and make arrests.
She said the department was concerned about the prevalence of suspected food poisoning cases.
“Although tests are yet to confirm the cause of illness of the 143 learners, they all reported buying snacks and food from local hawkers or local shops,” Meth said.
“We welcome the food inspection blitz and raids by Buffalo City Metro and Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality.
“We are calling for all our municipalities to embark on similar raids on a regular basis and not only when there are cases of suspected food poisoning.”
John Noah deputy principal Nomiki Ntulini Gwaza said: “When I heard about the incident in Edlelweni, I quickly ran to stop the children from buying sweets and chips.
“Unfortunately, when I got there some had already bought chips.”
She said one pupil who had eaten chips had complained about abdominal pain and had to be sent to the clinic.
While the media were talking to the deputy, another pupil started vomiting and had to be rushed to the clinic, where she had to be given oxygen to assist her with breathing.
On Friday, 12 pupils from Mpendulo Public Primary School were rushed to Frontier Hospital after complaining of itching bodies and high temperatures.
They became ill after allegedly eating biscuits which they bought from a foreign national’s shop in town.
In Edlelweni on Friday, a meeting was called by the department of education Chris Hani West at which it was decided that street vendors had to stop selling snacks at the school for now.
One of the parents at the meeting, Thandeka Taba, said her sister ’ s child was admitted to hospital and was later discharged.
“What was concluded was that the street vendors must stop selling for now and also that they need to register with the school so the school can know who sells what to the children,” she said.
Angry parents from Nomzamo location and Khayelitsha went around the area on Friday demanding that all foreign nationals close their shops for the day and attend a community meeting to discuss the crisis.
On Friday evening, the shops were allowed to operate again.
Parents and children from Mpendulo and other schools in Mlungisi stopped Zama Cash and Carry from operating.
EFF councillor Mzuvukile Tom said: “This is not the first time Zama is caught with expired goods, we were here earlier this year after we saw expired tomato sauce being sold.
“We blame the Chris Hani District Municipality [CHDM] health inspectors because if they came when we called them maybe this could have been prevented.”
After a meeting with the store’s management, the police, councillors, EMLM, education and home affairs officials, parents and pupils, it was decided that Zama remain closed for the day. “CHDM health services personnel were immediately dispatched to the affected areas supported by SAPS to take samples and facilitate toxicology tests,” said CHDM spokesperson Bulelwa Ganyaza.
“This exercise also involved visiting food outlets and conducting investigations on food that may have led to these incidents.
“Unlabeled sugar ‘loppies’ were discovered and seized during the visits.”
On Monday morning, CHDM deputy executive mayor Noncedo September and EMLM executive mayor Madoda Papiyana visited Frontier Hospital where one of the children was in a critical condition.
“The 14-year-old is one of the learners from six different schools within Enoch Mgijima that took ill after suspected food poisoning last weekend,” said Ganyaza.
She said CHDM was still waiting for the test results of the samples that were taken.
The police and CHDM inspectors conducted a raid and confiscated some items in spaza shops in the affected areas.
“The district municipality convened a multi-sectoral Joint Operations Committee meeting which was inclusive of all critical stakeholders and sector departments from health, education, home affairs, social welfare, traditional leaders, and so on,” Ganyaza said.
“The JOC discussed the matter and received reports on issues related to food safety and food outlets within the district.”
DA shadow MEC for education, Horatio Hendricks, said the suspected food poisoning incidents at the Komani schools highlighted the need for safe and nutritious meals to be provided at schools.
“We are extremely thankful that no learner lost their lives as a result of this tragic incident but are deeply concerned that this occurred in the first place.
“Initial reports seem to indicate that the foodstuffs consumed were procured from nearby hawkers and spaza shops.
“We are in full support of health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth’s call for food safety inspections to be intensified and for action to be taken against shop owners found to be selling expired goods,” Hendricks said.
He said transport MEC Xolile Nqatha said his department was rolling out a programme providing mobile kitchens to schools at a cost of R200,000 per container, with 20 schools receiving containers per year.
“When one considers the extent of the need and the sheer number of learners who are reliant on the school nutrition programme for healthy meals, this is simply not good enough,” he said.
“There are currently 1.6 million learners getting fed across the province.”
Hendricks said health regulations put in place were meant to safeguard children by ensuring that foodstuffs provided to them were safe to consume.
❝ We are calling on municipalities working with relevant stakeholders like law enforcement agencies to intensify food safety inspection operations because we cannot afford to have shop owners selling expired goods to our children, which at times includes expired baby formula