Basic Education Minister moves to ban use of pesticides in schools

JOHANNESBURG – Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has announced plans to ban the use of pesticides in schools following the deaths of several children caused by exposure to a chemical.

A pesticide called Terbufos was linked to the deaths of five children -  who died after eating snacks from a local spaza shop - in Soweto.

Although the chemical was found in their bodies, it remains unclear how the children came into contact with the highly toxic substance.

Gwarube said with the deadly chemical circulating in spaza shops and communities, it is crucial to ensure the substance does not reach schools.

“I will be gazetting and moving to ban the use of insecticides and pesticides on school premises. As Minister Steenhuisen said, these kinds of pesticides are for industrial and agricultural use. There is no reason for them to be on the premises of our schools.”

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Gwarube said she has been engaging with other provincial Departments of Education on ways to protect feeding schemes from toxic substances.

“The priority is to make sure that the school nutrition programme, which feeds 9.7 million learners every single day, is protected from being compromised because we want to make sure that those who are food handlers and distributors of the school nutrition programme are adhering to very strict guidelines.”

She added her department will also tighten regulations for food handlers in school nutrition programmes.