Ekurhuleni family loses two children to 'contaminated snacks'

Gauteng acting premier Kedibone Diale Tlabela visited the families of three Ekurhuleni children who died on Monday, allegedly after eating contaminated food.

The Xaba family lost two children last Wednesday, six-year-old Hope, and her brother, four-year-old Owami.

Diale Tlabela outlined the steps taken to intervene at the affected school, adding that health inspectors had cleared the department of any wrongdoing after tests were carried out in relation to the school feeding programme.

“A team has been set up on the education side just to investigate the spaza shops and the school feeding (program). The school food has been written off by the ministry’s health inspectors.”

It is alleged that the siblings were part of a group of Sonqoba Primary School students who fell ill last Monday, allegedly after eating snacks they had purchased.

Meanwhile, 29 other students from Setsing Primary School in Thokoza were rushed to a healthcare facility after falling ill.

According to the Gauteng Education Department, the governing body and management of Setsing Primary School had allowed vendors to operate on the school premises, to prevent the risk of foodborne illness.

However, the department said it appeared some of these vendors were selling expired products, which may have caused the group of students in grades 3 to 6 to become ill.

At the same time, Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development Lebogang Maile reiterated his call for the president to intervene.

Maile joined acting Gauteng Premier Kedibone Diale Tlabela in Ekurhuleni on Tuesday.

The MEC made the first call on Monday in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, while visiting the family of 10-year-old Lesedi Maaboi who died in similar circumstances.

Maile said the government would do everything it could to tackle the widespread problem.

“We would like the national government, especially the president, to view this as a disaster because it is spiraling out of control. We have to do something drastic and change the situation.

“It is simply not right that we are always called upon to respond to a crisis of this nature.”

Commenting on Maile’s visit to the family on Monday, Maaboi’s father Joshua said he felt indifferent that the government was too slow to provide a permanent solution while children in communities remain at risk.

“Instead of doing this, they should put more effort into conducting proper inspections; who runs the store and where did they get the stock? I think that could help.”

He said his wife and son were recovering well in hospital after consuming the same snacks suspected of leading to Lesedi’s sudden death.