Mass student poisoning reported in S. Africa

Hundreds of primary school learners in South Africa have been hospitalized after being poisoned, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) claimed on Sunday.

The DA said it has received confirmation about the hospitalization of hundreds of learners at the Mankgane Primary School in Sekhukhune, Limpopo Province late last week as a result of poisoning from their school feeding scheme.

The confirmation came from the Limpopo Education Department, the DA said.

"This is the second incident, in less than four months, of mass-poisoning of Limpopo learners resulting from school feeding schemes," said Jacques Smalle, DA Leader of Provincial Legislature, Agriculture, Public Accounts, Rules & Ethics and Education.

Last November hundreds of Limpopo learners in Sekhukhune were admitted to hospital for food poisoning.

The reckless endangerment of learners' lives in Limpopo is not limited to food poisoning. In September 2014 almost 300 learners were hospitalized after glass was found in their food, with more similar cases following in October.

The department's solution to this crisis was to cancel the contracts of Sekhukhune school feeding scheme suppliers late last year.

The DA calls for a full inquiry by the Limpopo legislature's Education Committee into all school feeding scheme contracts the department has entered into, according to Smalle. Endi