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Bizana – At least three students in Bizana were taken to the hospital after eating snacks from a local spaza shop. The incident happened on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, after the students complained of feeling sick.
According to Zamuxolo Vundla, principal of Ntlakhwe Junior Secondary School, the students became ill after consuming snacks bought from the shop.
“I quickly took them to the hospital where they were treated. I also called their parents, who later took them home. They’re doing better now and will see the doctor again soon,” said Vundla. “We have warned all students about the possible dangers of eating these snacks.”
In a similar incident, Asemahle Madodi, a relative of another student who got sick, spoke up. She said she saw social media posts about children vomiting, feeling dizzy, and some even having seizures after eating snacks from spaza shops. In one case at Khaleni Senior Primary School, students reportedly ate chips, sweets, and a banana, with one child still under hospital observation after eating the banana.
Odwa Mbangwa, director of Rising Dawn Reflections, believes that the problem may not only come from small spaza shops but also from bigger suppliers that sell snacks to these shops.
“Spaza shops buy from large stores like Bargain and Jwayelani. We should investigate these suppliers as well,” Mbangwa said.
Local residents and authorities in the area, including OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo regions, are working to prevent more cases. Meanwhile, people in Port St. Johns have demanded that local spaza shop owners close down their businesses if they continue selling unsafe snacks.
