Girls deliberately poisoned, say families

26/09/2014 Anna Mahlangu comforts Maria Mahlangu who is mourning the loss of her daughter, Mbali Mahlangu (8), and two other learners that were allegedly poisoned at Ema Primary School in Winterveldt. Picture: Oupa Mokena

26/09/2014 Anna Mahlangu comforts Maria Mahlangu who is mourning the loss of her daughter, Mbali Mahlangu (8), and two other learners that were allegedly poisoned at Ema Primary School in Winterveldt. Picture: Oupa Mokena

Published Sep 27, 2014

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Pretoria - The families of the three children who died after a suspected poisoning incident at a Winterveld school believe they were deliberately poisoned.

The three girls aged between six and eight from Ema Primary school died at a local clinic after falling ill during the lunch break on Thursday.

The families believe the children were poisoned by the school feeding scheme workers. But a preliminary report indicated that the children also ate food that was not provided by the feeding scheme.

One of the girls, Sibongile Mahlaye, brought cakes and juice from home. The other two girls; Precious and Mbali Mahlangu, who are cousins did not bring lunch to school.

On Thursday, the feeding scheme served pupils samp and soup. The school encourages parents not to give their children lunchboxes as food is provided.

Mbali’s mother Mariah Mahlangu said: “I think that whoever did this did it on purpose. They just wanted to kill the Mahlangu children.”

The Mahlangu family believes the girls’ cousin Ntando, who did not eat at school on Thursday, was also supposed to have died. The boy’s father Klaas said: “I think whoever wanted to do this also wanted to kill Ntando. We are just lucky that he did not eat.”

Sibongile’s grandmother, Lindiwe Mahleya, said she wanted the police to find out who killed the children and why. She admitted that she gave her grandchild cakes and juice as part of her lunchbox package. “I cannot kill my child. I know she ate the cakes with the other children and maybe someone put poison in the food.”

She said she and her other two-year-old grandchild also had the cakes and juice but they did not get sick. Mahleya said the police told her to keep the leftover cakes and juice. “I have kept the food in the fridge for when they can take them for testing,” she said.

On Friday, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi went to the school to meet parents and teachers.

He has appointed an independent team to investigate the deaths. In the meantime, the feeding scheme company has also been told to stop supplying food until the investigations have been completed.

He said the feeding scheme at Ema catered for 1 100 pupils and only the three had symptoms of poisoning. “The parents confirmed that they do not think that it was the food. They feel that someone might have poisoned their children. That is why we asked the police to investigate that part,” Lesufi said.

Lesufi said before the pupils were given food on Friday, it was first checked by health inspectors.

Parents protested in front of the school gates, demanding that action be taken against the teachers and the feeding scheme company.

Lesufi said a parents’ meeting will be held at the school this weekend to discuss the issue. Social workers were also deployed to the school to give counselling to the pupils, teachers and parents.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union Winterveld branch chairwoman Shakes Mashaba said they were shocked by the deaths.

“People must just give us answers.

“As soon as (they) have investigated the problem they must tell us what really happened. We cannot allow a situation where children come to school to die.”

Mahleya said the family would decide on the funeral arrangements next week once the post-mortem results have been released. The police have opened an inquest docket and are awaiting the post-mortem results.

Lesufi said the department would help the families with the funeral arrangements.

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Pretoria News

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