Tempers flared at a parents’ meeting called after a Mthatha school dismissed four cooks for allegedly urinating in buckets used for food.
The meeting at Mpindweni Junior Secondary School on Tuesday quickly descended into chaos as insults flew and cooks claimed they were victims of a witch-hunt and blackmailing.
The fired cooks maintained their innocence during the meeting. One of the cooks said: “It’s not true. We cannot urinate in dishes and buckets food and pose a health hazard to the children.
“Remember, we also have children in this school. This is just a ploy to see us fired. It is claimed we have been doing this since last year, but why is it only coming out in public now?”
Parents, however, would not hear of it and declared the matter closed. They demanded the cooks be subjected to tests, fearing pupils may have consumed contaminated food.
Sibongile Bengo called for medical tests.
“Our children in the near future can get sick from consuming the food mixed with urine,” said Bengo.
One parent claimed her son had developed a rash all over his body and refused to eat the school food.
It was also revealed in the meeting this was the second incident involving feeding at the school. In 2013, pupils were said to have suffered from stomach cramps and vomiting after allegedly eating contaminated sandwiches. They were rushed to hospital and the cooks axed.
Ex-cook Nozuko Ntajana, who is also a parent at Mpindweni JSS, accused five school teachers of having a vendetta against them. She claimed the bad blood stems from their support for a group of other teachers, with whom the five teachers had clashed.
“You conspired and lied that I poisoned the schoolchildren. You coached the pupils to fake sickness,” Ntajana claimed.
Parents also lashed out at the school governing body (SGB) for failing to tell them when the alleged incident took place.
They claimed they were only officially informed by the school a week later.
“We heard about this from the media,” said a fuming Zwelandile Ntelezi.
“You failed us. You should have called us the following day after you learnt about it.”
SGB chairman Mncedisi Mpande and principal Emelda Pendu apologised for the delay and said they accepted the blame. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
We are innocent, say cooks
The meeting at Mpindweni Junior Secondary School on Tuesday quickly descended into chaos as insults flew and cooks claimed they were victims of a witch-hunt and blackmailing.
The fired cooks maintained their innocence during the meeting. One of the cooks said: “It’s not true. We cannot urinate in dishes and buckets food and pose a health hazard to the children.
“Remember, we also have children in this school. This is just a ploy to see us fired. It is claimed we have been doing this since last year, but why is it only coming out in public now?”
Parents, however, would not hear of it and declared the matter closed. They demanded the cooks be subjected to tests, fearing pupils may have consumed contaminated food.
Sibongile Bengo called for medical tests.
“Our children in the near future can get sick from consuming the food mixed with urine,” said Bengo.
One parent claimed her son had developed a rash all over his body and refused to eat the school food.
It was also revealed in the meeting this was the second incident involving feeding at the school. In 2013, pupils were said to have suffered from stomach cramps and vomiting after allegedly eating contaminated sandwiches. They were rushed to hospital and the cooks axed.
Ex-cook Nozuko Ntajana, who is also a parent at Mpindweni JSS, accused five school teachers of having a vendetta against them. She claimed the bad blood stems from their support for a group of other teachers, with whom the five teachers had clashed.
“You conspired and lied that I poisoned the schoolchildren. You coached the pupils to fake sickness,” Ntajana claimed.
Parents also lashed out at the school governing body (SGB) for failing to tell them when the alleged incident took place.
They claimed they were only officially informed by the school a week later.
“We heard about this from the media,” said a fuming Zwelandile Ntelezi.
“You failed us. You should have called us the following day after you learnt about it.”
SGB chairman Mncedisi Mpande and principal Emelda Pendu apologised for the delay and said they accepted the blame. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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