'He could no longer speak. He kept vomiting' – Soweto grandmother describes 'poisoned' child's final moments

Community members in Naledi, Soweto, on Wednesday moved from spaza shop to spaza shop forcing those they believed were owned by migrants to pack up their stock and leave.

“We are fed up. How many children must die before the government puts an end to this madness?” asked Naledi resident Dumisani Dlamini.

Monica Sebetwana (6), Zinhle Ida Maama (7), Isago Mabote (8), Karabo Rampou (9) and Njabulo Msimanga (7) died on Sunday after reportedly eating crisps from a store in Naledi allegedly owned by a migrant.

A sixth child is in critical condition in an ICU.

The deaths, the latest in several suspected food poisoning cases, many of which are unresolved, revived longstanding calls to drive migrant shop owners out of Soweto.

Community members with goods looted from spaza shops in Naledi on 9 October. (Photo: Sharon Seretio / Gallo Images)

“Our way forward now is that all Pakistani spaza shops must not leave temporarily, but they must leave for good. We do not want any shops here,” said Naledi resident Bertha Zwane.

“That is our Phase One of this undertaking. Our Phase Two will concern deciding what to do with the vacant containers they have left behind.”

Community members shut down migrant-owned spaza shops in Naledi on Wednesday. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images)

An Ethiopian shop owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Daily Maverick on Wednesday, “We are part of the community. There is no way we can sell them expired food.”

Spaza shop operators in Johannesburg have previously been accused of selling expired goods, leading to inspection crackdowns. Community members in Naledi reportedly suggested this week’s deaths were linked to rat poison. Tests have not confirmed this.

“Now we are scared for our lives because the community is fighting. We are packing and leaving. We will come back once everything has been resolved,” said the Ethiopian shop owner.

A closed spaza shop in Naledi with yellow police tape around it. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images)

Other shop operators were packing up their belongings and stock under community and police supervision. The last of what remained in some shops was looted by community members, despite the police presence.

Only migrant-owned shops were closed by the community in Naledi and shops operated by locals were functioning normally on Wednesday.

Family’s account

Agnes Mabote (60), Isago Mabote’s grandmother, explained what happened when her grandson returned from playing with his friends on Sunday.

“Finding the main door closed, he pushed and banged on it, earning a reprimand from his mother. He then revealed he wasn’t feeling well and was shaking,” said Mabote.

“I was in bed, half-asleep, when I heard him talking to his mother. He then rushed to me, saying he felt dizzy and shaky. I picked him up and suggested we sleep it off. He was trembling, his heart racing.

“As I asked what was wrong, he began vomiting. One of the older children in the house noticed his eyes changing, so I called his uncle from the backroom. He brought milk, but it came right out of his nose along with a brownish substance.

“I asked him what he had eaten and he mentioned snacks. He planned to continue playing with his friends at the park but felt dizzy. When we questioned him further, he could no longer speak. He kept vomiting. Meanwhile, his mother arranged transport to Zola Clinic.

“I hurried to put on my shoes and joined them, but as I stepped out, a neighbour shouted to stop the car because she said another child was showing the same symptoms. Unfortunately, the car with my grandson had already left. It was one of his friends he had been playing with. I then went to assist this other child, who couldn’t tell us much,” said Mabote.

“We tried to administer charcoal, but it came out through his nose. We then rushed him to the Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital before I received news that my grandson had died.

“I’m shattered; we were very close. His mother, who is currently at the mortuary, is not coping. We have suffered a huge loss.”

Read more: Probe ongoing as Naledi residents mourn death of 5 children from alleged food poisoning

Survivor

The family of seven-year-old Katlego Oliphant, who was in critical condition in an ICU, were also devastated.

Katlego’s aunt, Sibongile Oliphant, said the child’s condition had not improved.

“We have seriously been hurt by this incident. We do not understand what is wrong with the food from these shops. It makes you, even as an adult, very scared, and yet this thing seems to be targeting children and not adults who buy in the same shops,” she said.

Katlego Oliphant. (Photo: Supplied)

Police have opened inquest dockets into the deaths of the five children and have sent remnants of the snacks for testing.

The owner of the spaza shop where the children bought snacks reportedly fled the community. The City of Johannesburg inspected the store in August and found it was compliant with regulations.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi visited Naledi on Tuesday and said a task team would investigate the deaths and postmortems would be concluded within two weeks.

While some community members tried to drive out migrant shop owners this week, they met with resistance from landlords and residents who defended the shop owners.

On Wednesday, the African Diaspora Global Network’s Dr Vusumuzi Sibanda said the migrant shop operators “have proved to be very resilient in business. They have operated the shops even without government funding. And, in most cases, they are even able to come back after their shops have been looted.” DM