South Africans Mourn As 2 Children Die in Zebediela After Consuming Poisonous Plant Leaves

• Two Limpopo children died after eating leaves from the yellow oleander flower in Zebediela
• The children and three of their friends were playing outside when they ate the flowers, resulting in them vomiting and experiencing diarrhoea
• Three of the children were discharged from the hospital, and the DA mourned the lives of the two who died

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

ZEBEDIELA, LIMPOPO — South Africans mourned the loss of two children's lives after they consumed the poisonous leaves of a plant in Limpopo.

What plant did they eat?

According to SABC News, five children were playing together when they ate the leaves of the yellow oleander plant. They then suddenly severely committed and experienced diarrhoea and were immediately taken to hospital. The two children, aged two years old, died in hospital. The other three children were discharged.

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Did the community know it was poisonous?

Community leader Dolly Mahlobogoane said most of the villagers where the incident happened do not know that the plant is lethal. It is the first time the community has experienced a death from the plant. The spokesperson of the Capricorn District Municipality, Kgabo Senyatsi, said it will create awareness about the dangers of the plant.

Children who died from poisoning

• 10 Gauteng children died from food poisoning in five districts, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, in September 2024
• Two toddlers from the Eastern Cape died from food poisoning after they consumed porridge in the same month
• A child from Diepkloof in Soweto died after he ate snacks he bought from a nearby spaza shop

South Africans shattered

Netizens commenting on Facebook were distraught by the deaths.

Belinda Belie said:

"I remember when we were kids, my late grandmother used to tell us to stay away from this flower because it's poisonous."

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Karabo Tshweu said:

"This is the lesson that our children need at school. We were taught about the toxicity of yellow and white oleander when I was in grade 9."

Ncebisie Sisulu said:

"This is heartbreaking. Awareness about toxic plants like yellow oleander needs to be a priority in communities."

Dimakatso Dimama Thapedi said:

"I think we need to learn about deadly and good plants, so we plant the good ones that won't harm our children even by touch."

9 Mossel Bay kids hospitalised after eating chips

In another article, Briefly News reported that nine children from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape were rushed to hospital for suspected food poisoning in November. They had reportedly eaten chips bought from a spaza shop.

The children complained about severe stomach cramps and were admitted to hospital. They recovered and were discharged. South Africans suspected that the deaths were a result of sabotage.

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"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," a South African pointed out.

Source: Briefly News