Eastern Cape pupils hospitalised for ingesting spoiled sour milk
Eastern Cape Education says the Kenton-on-Sea schoolchildren who fell ill on Monday had eaten pap served with sour milk that had gone bad.
"What happened was that because of the hot weather conditions over the weekend, the sour milk was turned into a poisonous something," says the department's Mali Mtima.
"Hence when learners consumed it yesterday, others started vomiting and others complained about stomach aches."
A total of 120 pupils from iKamvale-sizwe Primary School were rushed to local clinics and the Port Alfred Hospital yesterday afternoon after being fed the meal at the school.
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The department's Mali Mtima says all children had been discharged by Monday night and are back at school on Tuesday.
He says provincial education officials are visiting the school on Tuesday.
"The DG, Mweli Mathanzima, is leading our team to ensure that they talk to the parents to allay their fears, but those meal servers who are cooking there who are employed by the community but paid by the department did not mean to poison their kids.
"It was just an issue of the milk that was turned dangerous by the hot conditions."
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