Gauteng MEC demands urgent probe after pupils consume ‘scrubs’ product

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has called for urgent police and health-authority action after reports that some pupils have been purchasing and consuming a product known locally as “scrubs”.

What Maile has asked for

Maile wrote to Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni expressing concern about the pace of investigations. He urged authorities to determine what the product contains, where it comes from and who is supplying it, and to act swiftly when a potentially unsafe product is found in pupils’ possession.

Which agencies Maile wants involved

He called for a coordinated response involving the South African Police Service, Environmental Health Practitioners, municipal environmental health services, the Gauteng Department of Health and other authorities responsible for food safety, environmental health and waste management.

Findings so far and testing request

The Gauteng Department of Education’s fact-finding process could not establish the exact source or composition of the product. Claims that the product consists of used cooking oil, chicken remnants and spices allegedly originating from fast-food outlets have not been independently verified, the department said, and it said those claims must be investigated and scientifically tested by the relevant authorities.

Warnings to businesses, schools and the media

Maile criticised what he described as irresponsible waste disposal by businesses, saying:

“It is reckless for any business to dispose of its waste in a manner that allows materials which are not intended or safe for human consumption to find their way into our communities and ultimately into our schools.”

The department said its investigation had not established that any particular restaurant or fast-food outlet supplied the product.

Schools were instructed that consuming oil-fry residue commonly referred to as “scrubs”, or similar items obtained from unknown or unauthorised sources, is not permitted. The department also said unauthorised products may not be added to meals provided through the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), and that teachers and food handlers must monitor meal-serving and consumption areas and report incidents immediately.

The department stressed that “scrubs” do not form part of the NSNP or its approved menu, and fact-finding visits to schools found compliance with the programme’s food requirements and no evidence that externally purchased products formed part of meals supplied through the programme.

Scale of the nutrition programme

The NSNP provides daily breakfast and lunch to 1,738,266 pupils across 1,675 Gauteng schools. The programme is supported by 8,728 food handlers and covers 1,086 primary schools, 475 secondary schools and 114 schools for pupils with special education needs. Approximately R1.69 billion has been allocated to the programme for the 2026/27 financial year.

Appeal for a community response

The department warned against conflating products pupils buy independently with meals supplied through the NSNP, saying sensational reporting could create panic and undermine confidence in the programme. Maile called on school governing bodies, parents, teachers, pupils, food handlers, law-enforcement agencies, environmental health authorities, businesses and communities to remain alert and share responsibility for protecting children.

He said:

“Education requires a social compact. Government and schools cannot confront every social challenge alone. It takes a village to raise a child,”

and added:

“Parents, School Governing Bodies, communities, businesses, law-enforcement agencies and government all have a responsibility to protect our children and ensure that schools remain safe environments for teaching and learning.”