By Ndivhuwo Mukwevho
The Limpopo education department has stopped the sale of food outside public schools in the province. This follows various incidents of learners falling sick after eating snacks bought from vendors outside schools and nearby spaza shops.
Since the start of this month, several learners in the province have been admitted to various health facilities after falling ill after eating snacks and sweets bought from vendors.
On Thursday this week, a 13-year-old learner from Khubvi village, near Thohoyandou, died after allegedly eating snacks she bought from a foreign-owned shop near the school.
Scrolla.Africa reported on Thursday how this led fellow learners in the area to go on the rampage in protest during which they removed and destroyed snacks from foreign-owned spaza shops.
Mosebjane Kgaffe, the Limpopo education department spokesperson, said that food sales at or near schools must stop until further notice.
Meals provided through the National School Nutrition Programme will continue.
“The decision follows recent incidents where learners fell ill and, in some cases, lost their lives due to suspected food poisoning,” said Kgaffe. “The department will continue to investigate these incidents in conjunction with relevant authorities.”
Kgaffe told Scrolla.Africa the department was urging school principals, district directors and circuit managers to communicate this directive clearly to learners, parents, and food vendors.
“The department acknowledges potential challenges but trusts everyone will cooperate to ensure learners’ safety. This precautionary measure aims to safeguard learners’ health and well-being, especially during the examination period,” Kgaffe said.
However, some vendors who make a living selling food at schools are not pleased with the decision.
Scrolla.Africa spoke to some of them.
David Munzhelele, who sells snacks, sweets, vetkoek, and bananas outside Dzivhani Primary School, said that while he cares about learners’ health, he does not support the education department’s ban.
“Selling food items to the learners is my only source of income, and I use the money to support my three children and wife,” he said. “But now that we have been told to stop, how will I survive? This is a sad day for us.
“I always make sure that I buy food items from reputable supermarkets. Even my children eat the stuff I sell because I know they are of good quality.”
Another vendor, Agnes Mutshekwa, has been selling snacks for the past 20 years at Tshikhudini Primary School outside Thohoyandou.
“This has been my life. I have been earning a living this way, which is an honest way of living. So it hurts so bad knowing that I have to stop selling again like we did during Covid-19, “ she said.
“I hope they will ask us to come back soon; otherwise, some of us will die of hunger.”
Pictured: The gate at Dzivhani Primary School.
Source: Ndivhuwo Mukwevho
