23 September 2023 , 14:00
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Dozens of children had to be hospitalised after buying some muffins on their way to school which had been laced with cannabis.
The police said that many children were taken ill after eating muffins and that several ambulances needed to be called in to take them to hospital after they collapsed at the Pulamadibogo Primary School in Soshanguve, in Tshwane in South Africa.
The symptoms they suffered included nausea, stomach cramps and sickness as well as hallucinations after eating the cannabis-contaminated muffins on Wednesday. Teachers who noticed the children starting to behave strangely called the emergency services who started to arrive as their condition worsened.
An examination of the remains of the food found that it was contaminated with cannabis, which is known locally as 'dagga'. The children involved were from grades R which is for 5-year-olds through to grade seven which is for kids up to 13-year-old.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said: "According to information at our disposal, approximately 90 learners from Grade R to Grade 7 consumed what looked like muffins, suspected to be laced with dagga from a school vendor.
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"All 90 affected learners were attended to by emergency services on school premises. However, they were all subsequently rushed to different medical facilities where their condition would be monitored."
He added: "Police visited the school as this incident caused distress among parents, who also came as they were concerned about the safety of their children. Subsequently, the street vendor was identified, and police will conduct their investigation accordingly."
Matome Chiloane, Gauteng MEC for Education said: "This is concerning for us and we call for patience from parents while investigations are underway and learners are recovering. We implore learners to be vigilant about what they purchase and consume and be cautious of who they purchase food from." The investigation is ongoing.