Over the past few weeks South Africa has witnessed the tragic deaths and hospitalisation of school children as a result of alleged food poisoning. With the recent case of 25 Bronkhorstspruit primary school pupils taken to hospital for suspected food poisoning as well. This has now inevitably resulted in mounting tensions between the community and foreign nationals running spaza shops, given the source of the goods consumed by the learners.
The above incidents come on the backdrop of another tragic incident which left six children dead in Naledi, Soweto as a result of alleged food poisoning. In Gauteng alone, the health department has confirmed 16 deaths.