About ninety students from Pulamadibogo Primary School, north-west of Pretoria have been admitted to the hospital after eating muffins suspected to have been laced with cannabis.
Officials said the pupils bought the muffins from a street vendor on their way to school and suffered nausea, stomach upset and vomiting.
Two suspects, aged 21 and 19 have been arrested and face charges of attempted murder. They will appear before Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court on Friday, police said.
The situation was noticed after teachers called the Gauteng provincial education department for an ambulance on noticing “strange behaviour” from children in class.
Police have launched a toxicology report to confirm if cannabis was used, adding that more than 90 pupils received the muffins and suffered “serious pains”.
The education department said in a statement, they were all referred to a nearby hospital and “about 87” have been discharged. Three girls remain admitted.
“Only three girl learners remain in hospital, and they are still receiving the necessary medical attention to return to health,” it said.
Earlier this year, the Democratic Alliance (DA) party called for better vetting processes for street vendors, after eight children were admitted to hospital having eaten so-called ‘space cookies’ outside their school.
The DA’s spokesperson Khume Ramulifho also promised to pressure the provincial government to improve safety measures at school.