As food poisoning cases rise, the Gauteng Department of Education is investigating an incident involving 25 pupils from Setsing Primary School in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni, who were rushed to a medical facility on Tuesday.
This follows the tragic deaths of three children: one from the Sikonde family in Palm Ridge and two siblings from the Xaba family in Katlehong.
Reports indicate that the two Xaba siblings died last Wednesday under mysterious circumstances after allegedly consuming snacks bought from their school or a local spaza shop.
“We still do not know what caused their deaths as they bought Drink-O-Pop last Tuesday and went to school as normal on Wednesday. We can’t say if it’s the food they ate at school or the snacks they bought after their mother gave them money,” said Thabisile Xaba, the grandmother.
Gauteng acting Premier Kedibone Diale-Tlabela visited the Sikonde family, who also lost a child attending Kwanele Primary School.
The families are awaiting post-mortem results to determine the cause of death, leaving uncertainty about whether the children consumed food from the spaza shop or the school.
Xaba recounted that last Monday, the children bought Drink-O-Pop after school, followed by snacks. On Tuesday, they returned home complaining of stomach cramps but attended school the next day. Their condition worsened at night, leading to their deaths while they slept.
“The children had bought snacks on Monday and went to school on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, one of them asked for a tissue, and after some time, they went to a local spaza shop to buy Drink-O-Pop. They returned home and gave one of the drinks to their mother. The older sibling, Tebogo, was weak on Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning, they were unresponsive,” she said.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed that the siblings experienced complications on Wednesday evening and were declared dead at home.
They were part of a group of pupils who fell ill due to a food-borne illness at Sonqoba Primary School, although they were not taken to a medical facility.
During her visit to the Xaba home, Diale-Tlabela urged parents to prevent their children from buying food from local spaza shops, emphasising the lack of health benefits.
She called for urgent action, asking the national government to address the growing food safety crisis. “We are losing our children,” she stated.
The acting premier also urged landlords renting to foreign nationals to cease operations, as these shops have become associated with food-related deaths. “We must all take responsibility and impose law and order,” she added.
Mabona reported that the department was informed on Thursday about the Xaba family’s loss.
Civil rights movement, Not In My Name International, expressed sorrow over the deaths of children allegedly linked to spaza shops. “Our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. There has been an increase in children dying or being admitted to hospitals for suspected food poisoning across the country,” said secretary-general Themba Masango.
Masango called on the government to declare a state of emergency regarding goods sold in spaza shops. He urged South Africans, particularly those in townships, to mobilise peacefully to assist foreign spaza shop owners in leaving their communities.
“This will not only save lives but also return the township economy to its rightful owners,” he stated, lamenting that citizens feel abandoned, with the government merely observing the ongoing crisis.
The Star