Limpopo Education Department Denies That Learner Was Taken to the Clinic on a Wheelbarrow

• South Africans were in an uproar after a picture of a high school learner allegedly transporting his fellow learner to a nearby clinic on a wheelbarrow
• The incident happened in a village in Tzaneen in Limpopo, and the picture shows a learner ferrying another learner in a wheelbarrow
• The province's Department of Health told Briefly News that it is investigating and confirmed that there are ambulances near the village
• The Department of Education spoke to Briefly News and denied that the learner was taken to a clinic despite falling ill

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 immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

TZANEEN, LIMPOPO — The Limpopo Department of Education denied that a learner from Makhanya Junior Secondary School in Tzaneen, Limpopo, transported his fellow learner to a nearby clinic on a wheelbarrow.

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What happened in Tzaneen?

@LimChronicle posted an image of the learner transporting his fellow learner. According to the Limpopo Chronicle, the learner fell ill during lessons, and no ambulances were available to assist the learner. The teachers also allegedly did not step in and intervene.

View the image here:

Health and Education departments speak to Briefly News

The Limpopo Department of Health's spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana, confirmed with Briefly News that the department is investigating the incident. He also refuted claims that no ambulances were in the area to help the learner.

"We have ambulances at Grace Mugodeni, less than five kilometres from N'wamitwa," he said.

The Education Department's spokesperson, Mike Maringa, told Briefly News that the learner was not taken to the clinic. He said the learner wanted to go home and showed no signs that he needed an ambulance.

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"The school could not locate the mother and grandmother. The learner indicated that he would prefer to go home and rest. He walked out of the school with a friend and his younger brother. He indicated that he could walk home, and he left the school premises on his own. There was no sign that he needed the attention of an ambulance," he said.

Learners who fell ill at school

• 25 Learners from a school in Bronkhortspruit were admitted to hospital after they reportedly ate snacks bought from a vendor on 17 October 2024
• A week later, a pregnant learner from KwaZulu-Natal fell ill after eating chips bought from a vendor outside the school
• The Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane visited Thabisile Primary School in November after two of its pupils died allegedly from eating snacks from a spaza shop

74 Carletonville learners admitted to hospital for food poisoning

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In a similar article, Briefly News reported that 74 matriculants from a Carletonville, Gauteng school were admitted to hospital for suspected food poisoning. The learners were from three schools in the area.

It's unclear what happened, but it's alleged that they may have consumed food bought from spaza shops. So8th Africans were concerned that the rate of children dying from consuming snacks was increasing.

Source: Briefly News