PARENTS, school-governing bodies (SGB) and local communities have been urged to be vigilant with all foods and snacks sold in and around schools following the admission of scores of learners from two separate schools north of Tshwane.
The Gauteng Department of Education's (GDE) plea came after reports that 22 learners from Tlotlompho Primary School in Ga-rankuwa, Tshwane, had to be rushed to a local medical facility after falling sick at the school.
Steve Mabona, the department's spokesperson, said according to the information at their disposal, the learners started complaining after eating snacks allegedly bought from a street vendor.
The learners experienced vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and shortness of breath. However, out of 22, only four learners had to be transferred to a local hospital, while the remaining learners were released into parental care after receiving medical attention.
In a separate incident, 40 learners from Remolotswe Primary School in Winterveldt also had to be rushed to a local medical facility after consuming a snack called “dibombolina”, which they allegedly bought from different hawkers around the school.
Mabona said only three learners were attended to at a local facility and discharged. Meanwhile, 37 learners were sent to a hospital after experiencing symptoms associated with diarrhoea, vomiting and headache, and were later discharged.
Only one of the 37 was admitted, he said, and the rest discharged.
"We would like to urge SGBs, parents and the community at large to be vigilant at all times and check all foods and snacks sold in and around schools. Where it is suspected that the snacks might have expired, such information should be reported to the local authorities for necessary action. Schools must work jointly with school safety to advise learners as to what is deemed to be dangerous."
This comes after concerns have been raised about the surge of fake foods flooding Gauteng townships in recent days.