50 ill after eating food of vendor

12 September 2011 - 09:09
By Mogomotsi Selebi

NORTH WEST police have opened a case of attempted murder after about 50 people fell ill after eating from a street vendor in Rustenburg.

Police spokesperson Constable Provia Tseke said no arrests had been made so far.

"The police are busy investigating the matter but so far no one has been arrested. We are investigating an attempted murder case."

Fifty people were admitted at two Rustenburg hospitals on Saturday after falling ill after consuming the food at a taxi rank. They were admitted to the Job Shimankana and Moses Kotane hospitals in Rustenburg for what officials suspected could be food poisoning.

North West health department spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said the patients had been stabilised and most of them could be released soon.

He said it was not clear what the cause of the illness was but they suspected food poisoning.

"We will investigate the matter," he said.