The source of a food poisoning incident at Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, has not been established. (Photo: Supplied / Facebook) 
At least 156 pupils from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Mthatha have been rushed to hospitals and a local clinic — one by helicopter — after a suspected mass food poisoning incident that left one child vomiting blood and others seriously ill.
By 8pm on Wednesday, 120 pupils had been evacuated from the school in Ncise, Mthatha. By 11am on Thursday, a further 36 children had been taken by ambulance to Mthatha Regional Hospital for treatment.
Health spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the department believed the meal that caused the children to fall ill consisted of meat, samp, beetroot, carrots and beans. Later reports received from emergency medical services indicated that some children had also reported eating rice and tuna. Manana said emergency medical services were called by the school, and children were taken to the Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre, the Mthatha Regional Hospital and the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha.
Manana said that a child who was vomiting blood and urgently needed to be on a drip was taken to hospital by helicopter. According to the emergency report, seven ambulances, three patient transport vehicles, three rescue vehicles and a helicopter were used in the operation. Children were treated for abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea, while some complained of dizziness and some had seizures. Thirty children were diagnosed with complications. No deaths were reported. Authorities said they were still receiving calls as some children had only fallen ill after returning home.
Last year, several hundred cases of food poisoning were reported in schools around the province. These incidents included 340 pupils who were taken to the St Barnabas Hospital after two food poisoning outbreaks at Ndamase Senior Secondary School, also in Ngqeleni.
In other incidents, close to 200 children in Komani became ill after they bought food from vendors outside a school. In another incident in Gqeberha, 30 children required treatment after eating food bought from an outside vendor.
In October last year, following the deaths of several children in Gauteng — later found to be from pesticide poisoning — Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Parliament that the National Department of Health and Department of Basic Education would prioritise food safety in child nutrition programmes.
“This collaboration includes strict oversight of food provided through school feeding schemes and early childhood development centres,” he said.
Eastern Cape Education spokesperson Ceduma Mboxela said health protocols were being followed after the latest incident.
“As you will understand, this matter only happened a few hours ago. We will communicate with the public when the information is ready,” Mboxela said.
High poisoning incidence
Reacting to the high incidence of food poisoning cases at schools last year, the Eastern Cape Department of Education issued a memorandum to schools on 29 October 2024.
“These occurrences have caused great concern to the department and therefore a stance has been taken to ensure that schools implement the food safety policy guidelines as stipulated in the National School Nutrition Programme Revised Guidelines,” the memorandum reads.
“Not only do these incidents disrupt teaching as they often occur during school hours, but it has also been observed that these items are bought by learners from local shops in the vicinity of the schools and communities,” the memorandum read.
Eastern Cape MEC for Education Fundile Gade said incidents of food poisoning at schools had been “incorrectly attributed” to the National School Nutrition Programme, as they had “received no evidence in this regard.”
According to the memorandum, Gade also asked that school principals, education development officers and school governing bodies inform local vendors in the vicinity of schools about food poisoning illnesses and deaths.
In 2023, Gade told the provincial legislature that the department, through the school-based procurement of mobile or container kitchens, could fix only 20 school kitchens a year at a cost of R200,000 each to improve safety, ventilation and hygiene.
At the time, he said all schools in the province had a space for the preparation of meals, although this might not comply with a certificate of acceptability from the municipality.
He said 149 schools had mud kitchens, used old classrooms or had no structure.
He said any savings from school feeding schemes were used to improve kitchens.
“An unsafe kitchen poses a risk to learners from the perspective of food and physical safety. A kitchen/mobile preparatory unit which is not secure can also attract … burglary or vandalism of the plates, spoons, pots and stoves,” he said.
He did, however, say the department sought to align kitchens with food safety policies by requiring certifications from municipal services through their appointed environmental health practitioners.
He said the department’s school nutritional plan was focused on feeding learners, meaning the money could not be used to build kitchens. DM
This story was updated on Thursday morning to reflect the latest numbers affected.