Durban — The Department of Basic Education has called for enhanced food safety and hygiene education within schools and communities.
This follows the ongoing crisis of food poisoning incidents at schools across South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal, which has reached alarming proportions, stirring fears among parents, teachers, and educational bodies.
In Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, more than 40 pupils fell ill and were hospitalised after consuming snacks from nearby vendors, whereas eight children in Naledi, Johannesburg, allegedly died due to food poisoning earlier this month.
The department outlined five key hygiene practices to avoid foodborne illnesses: keeping it clean, separating cooked and raw foods, cooking thoroughly, maintaining safe food temperatures, and using safe water and raw materials.
Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, along with KZN education MEC Sipho Hlomuka and his counterpart in Gauteng, Matone Chiloane, expressed “deep concern” over the spate of foodborne illnesses plaguing the education system stemming from the food vendors stationed outside schools.
Gwarube said: “We have noted with concern the increasing reports of food poisoning involving children of school-going age.
“These incidents have disrupted teaching and learning as most cases occurred during school hours. Consequently, school time has been diverted to provide medical assistance to affected learners.”
Gwarube said education authorities and school governing bodies need to work closely with local communities, parents, and health agencies to establish guidelines and oversight for food sold in and around school premises.
“Parents have been urged to take an active role in monitoring what their children consume and to discourage them from purchasing snacks from informal vendors, several of whom do not adhere to food safety standards,” she said.
The department also clarified misconceptions surrounding its National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), which provides nutritious meals to approximately 9.7 million learners on school days.
“It must be made clear that many incidents experienced relate to food items bought through informal vendors, not the NSNP. Yet we acknowledge the need to improve our food safety standards,” said DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.
With hundreds of reported cases, including tragic outcomes such as the death of a secondary school pupil in KwaDukuza, the National Teachers’ Union (Natu) voiced its distress.
“We have been horrified by reports of children suffering severe symptoms after consuming contaminated or expired food,” said Doctor Ngema, Natu’s general secretary.
Ngema attributed the rise in cases to the lack of stringent food safety measures and highlighted the reckless practice of selling expired food items to vulnerable communities, particularly children.
Michele Clarke, the DA spokesperson on health, said: “The recent food poisoning incidents highlight the urgent need to increase and support our environmental health practitioners (EHPs) workforce. Many municipalities cannot meet food safety and health inspection standards due to persistent budget constraints.
“Despite clear evidence of the necessity of EHPs, provincial and local governments have continued to underfund these positions, which leaves many communities at risk.
“The latest figures show that South Africa has only 1712 EHPs, a fraction of the 6203 required for adequate coverage.”
Some reports suggest that many municipalities in the country were poorly equipped to manage food safety inspections due to budget constraints, leaving communities vulnerable, especially children who often relied on snacks from vendors positioned outside school gates.
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