By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Fifty pupils from Dzumeri Primary School rushed to hospital in Giyani, Limpopo after eating suspected contaminated food.
Limpopo Health Department’s Neil Shikwambana said the learners are currently receiving treatment in hospital.
“The report that we have for our medical team is that all learners look stable; they are being seen by the doctors and all our medical staff at the causality of the Nkhensani Hospital in the greater Giyani area,” he said.
Shikwambana said that after the treating team interviewed the pupils and teachers, it was revealed that the food the pupils ate in common was the meal (pap and milk) they received from the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
It is suspected that it came out of that, but we’re not sure as of now because there needs to be tests that will be run, but that’s the information we got, ” he said.
39 pupils were initially admitted with complaints of abdominal pains and vomiting before a further 11 pupils were admitted to the hospital.
This latest incident comes as the Limpopo Department of Education announced a temporary ban on street vendors and spaza shops from selling foods in and around school last month.
The decision comes as the country is experiencing a surge of food poisoning-related cases, and the ban was allegedly lifted on Thursday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is also expected to announce the government’s response to the deaths of schoolchildren for suspected foodborne illness.