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The Democratic Alliance has received confirmation from the Limpopo Education Department that the hospitalization of hundreds of Mankgane Primary School learners in Sekhukhune late last week was a result of poisoning from their school feeding scheme.

This is the second incident, in less than four months, of mass-poisoning of Limpopo learners resulting from school feeding schemes. Last November hundreds of Limpopo learners in Sekhukhune were admitted to hospital for food poisoning.

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

In fact as early as April last year, the Auditor General found the Department to be delivering sub-standard food to learners.

The Limpopo Education Department’s solution to this crisis was to cancel the contracts of Sekhukhune school feeding scheme suppliers late last year.

How is it possible that the same tragedy has struck again just four months later? How many lives is the Department willing to risk before it properly vets suppliers of food to our learners?

The DA will call for a full inquiry by the Limpopo legislature’s Education Committee into all school feeding scheme contracts the Department has entered into.

We further demand the immediate cancellation of the Sekhukhune supplier’s contract, and for a full investigation into the criminal negligence of Department officials to be completed without delay. We will also be laying criminal charges against the feeding scheme supplier for recklessly endangering the lives of hundreds of learners.

The DA will closely monitor this situation to ensure that those responsible are brought to book.

Issued by DA