Meal times will never be the same for pupils at Mpindweni Junior Secondary School outside Mthatha, after pupils saw the cooks urinating in buckets used for food.
The incident, which allegedly has been happening since last year, was reported by pupils to their teachers after they were asked why they were not eating the school meals.
It was then revealed that cooks regularly used the food buckets to urinate into because the toilets are 100m from the kitchen.
During meal times, the cooks portion out the food in 20-litre buckets and send it to individual classes to be served to pupils.
School principal Emelda Pendu confirmed the incident saying the school had acted quickly after being alerted by pupils.
“We were told that they had been doing it for some time. We noticed that the children did not want to eat the food. When we heard what they were doing we called them in. They, of course denied it, but one of them admitted to using a basin to pee into,” said Pendu.
“We decided to release them and pay them in full. Their term was ending at the end of this month anyway. Our concern was the children because even the lower grades refused to eat the food saying it had been cooked in urine.”
She said a new catering team, which had been already selected by parents and the school governing body, would start tomorrow.
Mpindweni’s school governing body (SGB) chairman Mncedisi Mpande called the cooks’s actions “horrifying”.
“I received a call from the principal informing me that the kids had seen the cooks urinating in buckets used for food. The cooks claimed the toilets were too far away.”
Mpande said the SGB and the school’s management decided to “release” the women because their presence had a negative impact on the pupils.
“The children did not want to eat the food. The food could not go to waste so we decided the cooks had to go. Their monies were paid.
“We now have a new team. We even bought new buckets in a different colour so as to put the pupils’ minds at ease.
“What they did was intolerable. We had to act for the well-being of our children,” added Mpande.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima commended the school’s swift action in dealing with these “barbaric, uncultured” acts.
“We condemn these barbaric and uncultured acts of these alleged perpetrators. Since those people have no shame at all they do not need to be allowed to work near children at all.
“We sincerely apologise to the community of this school, the children and families of those affected by this incident.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Cooks fired after urinating in food pails
The incident, which allegedly has been happening since last year, was reported by pupils to their teachers after they were asked why they were not eating the school meals.
It was then revealed that cooks regularly used the food buckets to urinate into because the toilets are 100m from the kitchen.
During meal times, the cooks portion out the food in 20-litre buckets and send it to individual classes to be served to pupils.
School principal Emelda Pendu confirmed the incident saying the school had acted quickly after being alerted by pupils.
“We were told that they had been doing it for some time. We noticed that the children did not want to eat the food. When we heard what they were doing we called them in. They, of course denied it, but one of them admitted to using a basin to pee into,” said Pendu.
“We decided to release them and pay them in full. Their term was ending at the end of this month anyway. Our concern was the children because even the lower grades refused to eat the food saying it had been cooked in urine.”
She said a new catering team, which had been already selected by parents and the school governing body, would start tomorrow.
Mpindweni’s school governing body (SGB) chairman Mncedisi Mpande called the cooks’s actions “horrifying”.
“I received a call from the principal informing me that the kids had seen the cooks urinating in buckets used for food. The cooks claimed the toilets were too far away.”
Mpande said the SGB and the school’s management decided to “release” the women because their presence had a negative impact on the pupils.
“The children did not want to eat the food. The food could not go to waste so we decided the cooks had to go. Their monies were paid.
“We now have a new team. We even bought new buckets in a different colour so as to put the pupils’ minds at ease.
“What they did was intolerable. We had to act for the well-being of our children,” added Mpande.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima commended the school’s swift action in dealing with these “barbaric, uncultured” acts.
“We condemn these barbaric and uncultured acts of these alleged perpetrators. Since those people have no shame at all they do not need to be allowed to work near children at all.
“We sincerely apologise to the community of this school, the children and families of those affected by this incident.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
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