9 Kids Hospitalised After Eating Spaza Shop Chips, South Africans Think Something Bigger Is Going on
- Nine children in Mossel Bay, Western Cape were hospitalised after allegedly consuming snacks from a spaza shop
- There has been a spike in foodborne illnesses across the country, which has claimed the lives of 22 children
- South Africans believe spaza shops are not to blame and that there's something bigger going on behind the scenes
Source: Getty Images
The latest incident of children getting sick from snacks bought at a spaza shop has got South Africans questioning what is happening.
Children across the country have been hospitalised in recent months, with at least 22 dying from foodborne illnesses.
While the government blamed organophosphate ingestion for some of the deaths, there are still unanswered questions as to why so many children are falling ill.
Mossel Bay children hospitalised
In the latest incident, nine children in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, were admitted to hospital after eating chips bought at a spaza shop.
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The children were admitted after complaining about severe stomach cramps. Thankfully, none of the cases were severe.
“Medical staff confirmed all nine children have recovered and were discharged,” Garden Route District Municipality Mayor Andrew Stroebel said.
South Africans suspicious of spike in cases
The latest incident has got South Africans questioning what is happening in the country.
Sonica Marais said:
“If it is such a concern, why are they still buying chips from the spaza shops? Something seems wrong. Somehow, sabotage comes to mind.”
Siyabonga Innocent added:
“I think there is something big going on behind the scenes. Authorities must do investigations. This is an attack."
Richard Maphosa stated:
“There is more to it than just poisonous food items. There is serious politics at play here, and it is very unfortunate that these forces are fighting their battles at the expense of our children's lives.”
Nicole Stallone said:
"Why all of a sudden now? 😒 Something is fishy here. We have been buying from spaza shops for years, and no one died; suddenly, now it’s a spike—the same as COVID-19."
Tina Madubela added:
“These children were fine at the beginning of the year and past years, but since we’ve reached the end of this year, these children seem to die just by consuming snacks. I'm sorry, but I don't believe this. It's just something happening in the school's feeding program.”
Ndax Dawu stated:
“Thorough investigations must be conducted here. Big retailers or politicians are behind this. Children should not be used as a political football.”
Maron Zhou Chihora said:
“Someone is just trying to hurt the spaza shops guys, and they are using kids. Why will these spaza shops want to hurt their business by poisoning kids, why?”
Presidency responds to deaths of 5 children
In related news, Briefly News reported that the deaths of the then-five children in Naledi sparked outrage from the community in the days after.
The incident sparked angry scenes of looting and the shutting down of foreign-owned tuck shops as tensions swept across the township.
Later, the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, expressed the government's stance.
Source: Briefly News
