An anti-drug organisation, the World Changers Candidates has raised alarm over the proliferation of drugs and other intoxicating substances among South African learners as young as pupils in the lower grades.
The alarm was raised after at least 90 learners from Pulamadibogo Primary School in Soshanguve, Tshwane, were on Wednesday rushed to local medical facilities after experiencing nausea, stomach cramps, and some vomiting from allegedly eating space cookies, laced with dagga.
IOL reported that the approximately 90 learners are from Grade R to Grade 7, and they had consumed what looked like muffins, suspected to be laced with dagga.
The muffins had been bought from a street vendor on the learners’ way to school, according Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona.
Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Thursday, founder of World Changers Candidates, Lucas Lucas Mahlakgane said drug usage among South African learners is very prevalent, and schools cannot be blamed for what happens when pupils leave or are going home.
“Kids in primary school are putting alcohol into their juice. They are mixing their juice with alcohol. And where is the school in that, where would the teachers come into this whole thing? The teachers only see this when they see funny behaviour from a child,” said Mahlakgane.
“From home, as you prepare you kid for school, they have the juice and on the way to school, they meet their peers and they experiment by putting alcohol into the normal juice,” he said.
“As a teacher, you would be thinking these kids are drinking juice. It is no longer juice anymore. We are talking about primary level. This has not started now, it started a long time ago. The stories are in the media where the vendors are actually selling kids drugs during the break, even on the fence.”
Mahlakgane said South Africa has become “a drug picnic”.
“At primary, that is where they are actually introducing them to drugs. They uses cookies, sweets, juice and once the kids are into drugs, when they go to high school it becomes a party,” Mahlakgane said.
“That is where they can throw drug parties, class bunking parties, the pens down (parties). Our country has become a picnic for drugs. It is a societal issue, not a school issue.”
On Wednesday, Gauteng Education’s Mabona said educators at the Soshanguve school witnessed “strange behaviour” from the learners in class, and the teachers immediately called emergency services.
“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,” said Mabona.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane has expressed “concern” about the incident on Wednesday.
“Indeed, this is concerning for us, and we call for patience from parents while investigations are under way and learners are recovering,” said Chiloane.
“We implore learners to be vigilant of what they purchase and consume and cautious of who they purchase food from. We wish all affected learners a speedy recovery.”
In June, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demanded the establishment of proper vetting processes to keep cookies laced with drugs out of school grounds.
This followed an incident where eight learners from Emfundisweni Primary School in Alexandra were admitted to Edenvale Hospital after eating space cookies sold to them by a vendor stationed outside the school premises.
IOL