Two men arrested for allegedly selling space cookies to Alex learners
Gauteng DA shadow MEC for Education Khume Ramulifho urges SGB and the communities across the province to ensure the safety of learners after 13 learners from Emfundisweni Primary School in Alexandra consume space cookies.
Two men have been taken into custody for questioning in connection with allegations of selling drug-laced cookies to learners of Emfundisweni Primary School.
The two suspects are believed to be vendors outside the school where 13 learners fell sick after they ate the cookies, commonly referred to as ‘space cookies’. The incident happened on June 7 at about 07:00 as the children arrived for the start of their school day.
Seven of the learners were hospitalised at Masakhane Community Clinic after eating the cookies as they began showing signs of sickness, barely an hour later.
Some learners reportedly vomited and wet themselves, while others displayed strange behaviour. Parents of the other six learners were called in to come and fetch them.
Representatives of the DA later paid a visit to the school and demanded the Gauteng Department of Education establish an integrated safety approach inclusive of school SGBs and the community to avoid such incidents from happening again.
The party said schools lacked a functional vetting process for vendors to ensure that learners were sold safe, hygienic, and healthy food. “Even though the vendors are trading outside of the school premises, the department has a responsibility to ensure that learners are safe and protected,” said DA Shadow Education MEC Khume Ramulifho.
Speaking to Alex News, the wife of one of the apprehended me, who requested not to be named, defended the pair from any wrongdoing and accused other traders of jealousy, saying they didn’t like them to sell outside the school.
“My husband was selling on that day with his business partner. I have been selling there for as long as I can remember, and this [incident of space cookies] is new to me. I mean how can we sell muffins for R1 that have drugs? I also have kids and that is what hurts me the most,” she said.
The wife said she suspected this could be the work of her competitors trying to frame her husband to stop him from selling because their muffins were in high demand.
“If they didn’t want my husband to sell here, they should have said so he can move to sell somewhere else because ever since he came here, the cookies were selling at a high rate.
“I have nothing to hide even the officials can come and check at my house just like the patrollers did, and they found nothing. I told my husband to continue selling because we do not have anything to hide and he did until he was taken by the police.”
Alex News went to the police station to enquire about the arrests but Alexandra Police Station Commander Brigadier Lindiwe Magudulela was not available to confirm the arrests because she was said to be on leave.
Meanwhile, Alex SAPS still operates without a spokesperson, more than a year since the departure of Sergeant Simphiwe Mbatha from the post. Magudulela had said a new spokesperson had been appointed but was still undergoing training.
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