184 Eastern Cape Children Hospitalised After Allegedly Eating Snacks From Spaza Shops

• 184 children in the Eastern Cape were taken to hospitals in the space of one week after allegedly eating snacks
• In the most recent incident, 63 were transported to a hospital after they bought snacks, biscuits and juice from a local spaza shop near their schools
• Police and citizens warned parents to stop buying from vendors and make their children snacks at home

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, covered police investigations and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

184 learners were hospitalised in one week from allegedly eating snacks bought from spaza shops in the Eastern Cape. In the most recent case, 63 learners were sent to hospital after allegedly eating snacks they bought near their school.

The children complained that they had stomach cramps and were vomiting, and they had to be rushed to hospital. South Africans blamed parents for letting their children buy at spaza shops instead of purchasing the snacks themselves.

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Children hospitalised after eating snacks

TimesLIVE reported that the pupils, who were between the ages of six and 13, were earners from Zingcuka Primary School in Keiskammahoe. The kids reportedly snacked on chips, biscuits and juice from a shop in the area.

Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu also added that a similar incident allegedly occurred in the province earlier in the week. In this incident, the children from Scenery Park also allegedly ate biscuits and were taken to hospital after complaining that they had cramps.

Cops issue warning to parents

Yet another similar incident took place in Queenstown in which 119 children were taken to hospital after they allegedly bought chips and biscuits from the vendors outside the school gates. The Eastern Cape police commissioner called on parents to stop letting their children purchase food from vendors or spaza shops.

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Mene also said that it is essential for parents to make lunches at home, as this gives them more control over the quality of the food their children eat.

Citizens scold parents for being careless

South Africans on Facebook were angry at the parents for letting their kids buy from shops and not making their lunchboxes.

Frog Fee M’kamel asked:

“Parents, why are you still giving your kids money when going to school instead of buying them snacks by yourself where you think it’s safe?”

Philani Xulu added:

“You are the ones who keep on buying from these people. No one is forcing them to buy.”

Robert Mothobi wrote:

“If you guys think the government will help us, forget it. The ANC government and the EFF want us dead, and they are succeeding because we’re folding our hands and expect miracles.”

Andile Mpungose was stunned.

“63 is a huge number.”

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Roodepoort expired food warehouse closed

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that a Roodepoort warehouse the police raided was shut down because it contained expired and fake goods.

The police, accompanied by health inspectors, found the warehouse was contravening the City’s municipal bylaws on food safety as the fake food was found stacked to the ceiling in unsanitary conditions.

South Africans were disturbed that government would allow these kinds of businesses to operate under their noses.

Source: Briefly News