Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, has firmly rejected allegations that the death of an eight-year-old learner from Thabisile Primary School in Diepkloof, Soweto, was caused by the provincial school feeding programme.
The tragic case of Kutlwano Olifant has reignited public concerns about food safety in schools and local food vendors.
Kutlwano fell ill after consuming biscuits purchased from a nearby spaza shop, which has since been closed as a precaution.
By Friday, her condition had deteriorated significantly, leading to her admission to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Family and community members have expressed their grief and anxiety, especially in light of recent foodborne illnesses and fatalities in the area.
During a visit to the grieving family on Monday, Chiloane emphasised the need for thorough investigations to ascertain the cause of Kutlwano’s death.
He dismissed claims linking her death to food supplied by the Education Department’s feeding programme, stating: “We await the post-mortem and we will get a sense of what could have led to this. I know there was an allegation that nutrition of our programme must be dismissed as soon as possible. It can’t be one child being affected.”
He reiterated his commitment to a transparent analysis following the forthcoming post-mortem results.
The spaza shop suspected of being linked to this tragedy had stopped operating after a series of similar deaths that have claimed the lives of over 25 children since the beginning of October.
Local resident, Orlando Tembe, expressed the community’s distress: “We are shocked about what happened last week. It is difficult to say what really happened as the child became sick only on Friday and was rushed to hospital where she died after she complained of stomach pains. We cannot be certain about her death but we are really concerned as parents when such things happen.”
The latest death has once again sparked concerns among the community, following an incident just days earlier when five-year-old Siyabonga Mnisi from Diepkloof also succumbed to suspected food poisoning.
These heartbreaking occurrences come amid mounting scrutiny of food safety standards across South Africa, leading President Cyril Ramaphosa to order that all spaza shops re-register within 21 days.
Cabinet ministers announced last week that foodborne illnesses have been classified as a national disaster, although a formal declaration has yet to be made.
Ramaphosa mandated that all implicated establishments be shut down immediately, following reports of over 22 children’s deaths.
As of early September, the country has seen an alarming 890 reported incidents of foodborne illness spanning multiple provinces, which has placed food safety back in the spotlight and raised serious questions about the integrity of informal food vendors across the region.
The Star