Johannesburg - The death of two primary school pupils and the hospitalisation of another 10 still fighting for their lives as been blamed on suspected poisoned popcorn.
Family members revealed how Busisiwe Tiny Mkhatshwa and her neighbour Sanele Mahlangu always walked together to Nelson Ngubeni Primary School in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga.
On Monday, the two girls walked home together as usual and because they were not feeling well, took an afternoon nap. Now Sanele is in hospital fighting for her life while Busisiwe is dead after the suspected food-poisoning incident.
The Ngubeni Primary School pupils were victims of alleged food poisoning believed to have stemmed from contaminated popcorn. Two of them - Busisiwe, 10, and Zamokuhle Jacob Maepa, 7 - died. The other 10 children, including Sanele, are recovering in hospital.
Busisiwe’s sister Makgaugelo Aphane said when the Grade 4 learner returned from school she complained about a headache and a stomach ache.
“I made her a lunch of eggs while she was napping. When I pulled the covers off, there was foam coming out of her mouth and nose. I picked her up and when we got into the living room she started vomiting. It was blue vomit that had popcorn and black dots. We put her on the couch and she started changing. Her lips turned black and her hands started turning grey.”
Aphane said they struggled to rush the child to a nearby clinic because they didn't have transport and the ambulances were unavailable. The child was picked up by a private ambulance company but declared dead on arrival at the Witbank Provincial Hospital.
Aphane said her little sister was a bubbly girl with big dreams of being a pilot. Now, she said the family was reeling as their uncle died in a car accident in Daveyton last week and they are still planning his funeral. Aphane said the family does not have money for both funerals.
In the neighbouring house, Thandi Mahlangu is thanking her lucky stars that her daughter Sanele, 14, is recovering in hospital. “She came back from school and slept. When her friend started getting sick, I woke her up and asked her what they ate. She said they ate popcorn. Sanele ate at the school but she didn’t eat the soya mince. She ate the rice and bought atchar on the side. I don’t know what made them sick; was it the food from the school or the popcorn?” Mahlangu said.
She said Sanele also complained of chest pains and they took her to the local clinic where they referred her to the hospital.
Another family is mourning the death of Grade 1 pupil Zamokuhle. His father Silas Mabena said: “He collapsed outside the school and they called the security guard. His mother went there and they took him to the clinic. He was checked and he died there.”
Mabena has two other children who attend the school; Dimpho Maepa in Grade 3 and Beauty Maepa in Grade 4. He said because Zamokuhle’s classes end earlier than his sisters, he waits for them and they walk home together.
Mabena said: “They say he bought popcorn while he was playing and waiting for them. The sisters didn’t buy them but they all ate feeding scheme food.”
What has authorities confused is what the cause of the poisoning is. Only learners from the Emalahleni Extension 5 fell ill. Mpumalanga education department’s Jasper Zwane confirmed that they were also investigating the alleged food poisoning and are keen to establish that the cause of death had nothing do with it.
“We have now suspended the school nutrition programme and have asked the Department of Health to investigate if the food at the school is healthy.”
“The MEC Bonakele Majuba visited the families and pledged to give them the support that they need,” he said.