Heartbreaking news has emerged surrounding the untimely demise of two-year-old Azingce Mayeye, who allegedly passed away after consuming a packet of crack-a-snack purchased from a taxi rank.
The devastating incident occurred at the South Deep Gold Fields Mine in Westonaria, situated in the western region of Gauteng.
Azingce was swiftly rushed to the Mandela Clinic in Bekkersdal, West Rand, where medical professionals, unfortunately, pronounced him dead upon arrival. Distressingly, he was one of two children who lost their lives on the same day, while two others who also shared packets of the same snacks were admitted to the hospital.
Amidst the grieving process, Azingce’s aunt, Siziphiwe Mayeye, expressed the family’s anguish, revealing that they were eagerly awaiting updates from the police regarding the ongoing investigation. However, their concerns took a distressing turn when they learned that postmortem results had detected the presence of rat poison, known as halephirimi, in Azingce’s body.
Mayeye shared their confusion, stating, “We are still wondering how halephirimi was found on his body, because our suspicions were on the packet of snacks. They all shared the snacks and got sick. We are just waiting for the police to confirm what went wrong with my nephew.”
The crack-a-snack packet that the children consumed is currently in police custody for further investigation. The authorities have assured the family that they will examine the packet and determine if it contains the same halephirimi substance.
In a shocking revelation, Davis Magolego, a member of Operation Dudula, expressed the organization’s dismay upon learning about the postmortem findings. Magolego disclosed that they had engaged with the families of the affected children from South Deep Gold Fields Mine and Protea South, both of whom consumed crack-a-snack and tragically passed away on the same day. Astonishingly, the postmortem report from Westonaria indicated rat poison as the cause of death, while the Protea South case cited a head injury.
Magolego further highlighted a discrepancy in the postmortem report, as the section pertaining to personal details was left blank. He suspects that the form may not correspond to the deceased child, as Azingce did not suffer a head injury, contrary to what was stated.
The family of the child from Protea South could not be reached for comment at the time.
Magolego urged South Africans to exercise caution when purchasing goods from spaza shops owned by foreigners, emphasizing concerns about expired products and items of uncertain origin. He voiced concerns about the sale of counterfeit branded products, cautioning citizens to be vigilant and raise awareness about the risks associated with such practices.
This distressing incident echoes a similar tragedy where two children lost their lives, and two others remain hospitalized after allegedly consuming biscuits purchased from a local spaza shop. At a memorial service for Neo Khang and Leon Jele, a neighbour, Lereko Molapise, shared that the families were informed of a possible link to rat poison. The toxicology report is pending completion, which could take up to a year.
