South Africa: 41 students of the Ihobe Intermediate School fell ill after consuming adulterated food from stores and vendors around the school. The students have since been admitted to the Pelenomi Hospital hospital after the illness was reported.
The Member of the executive council for Education in Free State visited the school along with the Mangaung Executive Mayor. They were also accompanied by a delegation of officials who met with the parents.
The leaders have shared that the parents whom they met at the school premises were angry and disappointed. The parents have also called on the administration to close down vendors and stores responsible for supplying poisonous food to children.
The education department has assured the parents that they would continue to work with them and ensure that the situation is promptly dealt with. The MEC visited the school with her team on Thursday.
She met with the parents whose children have been admitted to the hospital and assured them of her team’s support. She has instructed the district Directors in all the districts, to prohibit the sale of food in or outside school premises.
The department of Education said that the directive is to be followed strictly throughout the province. The department has also confirmed that the officials are conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of mass food poisoning.
The principals and managements of all thee schools across the province were urged to implement the instructions of the MEC. The leaders have shared that the they are committed to work with the learners who were affected by the traumatic event.
They pledged to extend psycho-social support for all the students who were affected. The department has confirmed that moving past this problem will only be possible with the support of all the sectors of the province.
Every section of the society has to work hard and diligently as a community to ensure that this incident is not repeated to this scale.