Pregnant KwaZulu-Natal Learner Falls Ill After Eating Chips, South Africans Reeling

• A learner from Bongucele Secondary School and six other pupils were admitted to hospital after they allegedly suffered from food poisoning
• The learners reportedly bought the chips on their way to school, and some of them were discharged
• South Africans were heartbroken that the learner was pregnant and that she landed in hospital

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and heritage in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

KWAZULU-NATAL — Seven pupils from a school in KwaZulu-Natal were admitted to hospital after they ate chips and exhibited signs of food poisoning. One of them is pregnant.

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7 learners hospitalised

TimesLIVE reported that the learners are from Bongucele Secondary School in Mnafu. On 30 October, they were on their way to school when they decided to stop by a spaza shop and buy some chips. They ate the chips and shortly after, had to be rushed to hospital after showing symptoms of food poisoning.

The pregnant learner remains in hospital while her classmates were discharged. The MEC of Education Sipho Hlomuka warned learners not to buy food from unauthorised vendors.

SA reeling

South Africans on Facebook voiced their frustrations at the concerning trend of children being hospitalised for suspected food poisoning.

Bathandwa Dumakazi Mphankomo said:

"We don't have leaders, only politicians. That's why."

Helen Bruyns said:

"No business owners would poison their snacks, and spaza owners in different provinces and townships would not use the same poison. To me, this appears to be very well-planned sabotage against foreign businesses to investigate and fuel the flames of Xenophobia to drive these individuals out."

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Andrew Pienaar said:

"Perhaps the locals have sabotaged the spaza shops usually owned and run by migrants. Suspects may be jealous community members."

Rofhatuthedzwa Arnoldinho Mash said:

"We can blame foreigners, but I believe that there is some sort of sabotage from the locals to instigate another xenophobic attack across the country."

ATM calls on public protector to act on food poisoning crisis

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the African Transformation Movement called on the Public Protector to intervene in the food poisoning crisis.

This was after the Gauteng province experienced over 294 food poisoning cases since February 2024.

Source: Briefly News