Nkosana Lekotjolo
Nkosana Lekotjolo
Saturday morning was election day for the 4000 delegates who attended the ANC Women's League conference in Mangaung.
But instead of standing in the queue at polling stations delegates made a bee-line for the toilets and mobile clinics after apparently eating tainted food.
They formed long queues to get into the mobile clinics to receive medical help.
ANCWL spokesman Charlotte Lobe confirmed on Saturday that more than 40 delegates were admitted to the local hospital with stomach "problems".
The catering company was fired following a meeting between its representative and the ANCWL leadership.
Arrangements were made to source food for the delegates from fast food outlets.
The catering company awarded the contract to supply delegates with food was Royal Sechaba.
The company has catered for several ANC events.
Royal Sechaba also does the catering for parliament.
Women who were interviewed by Sowetan said that since arriving at the conference they had not been able to sleep properly because of their frequent calls to nature.
Some of the women with stomach problems were seen lying on the grass outside the conference hall complaining that they had stomach cramps.