Johannesburg - It could take anything from three to six months before the truth behind the cause of the illness of 16 children at a crèche last week is known - and the role of a woman arrested for feeding them something is established.
The children, from the crèche operating from the Malerato Centre for Hope orphanage for vulnerable children, were found seriously ill by paramedics on Thursday.
They had diarrhoea, were vomiting and were dehydrated. The paramedics immediately transferred the children to hospitals.
Police arrested 35-year-old Evelyn Mthembu on Friday, and charged her with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Mthembu’s case did not make it on to the court roll on Monday, because there was nothing more than one witness statement for the prosecution to go on.
“I have not enrolled the case pending the finalisation of the investigation,” Mamelodi East Magistrate’s Court senior prosecutor Anne-Marie Bendeman said on Monday. She said Mthembu, who had spent the weekend in the Mamelodi East holding cells, was released to give the investigating officers time to gather more information.
Bendeman said they would wait for the results of forensic test done on the children and for the reports of other stakeholders. “It might take up to three months before we get the results from the forensic tests back.”
The case was “very sensitive”, she said, and until there was more information on what happened they could not proceed.
The Star