EXCLUSIVE | Naledi spaza shop tenant refutes claims of poison
The owner of the shop has not been seen since fleeing on Sunday, after community members looted the establishment.
Five children died after consuming chips bought from a spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The partner of an Ethiopian national, only known as Daniel, who was operating a spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto, claims they have nothing to do with the deaths of five children suspected to be victims of poisoning.
Dineo Mphore was temporarily living with Daniel - her partner of 13 years - in a spaza shop on Thlathlane Street before an angry mob of residents invaded, looted and shut it down on Sunday - shortly after rumours surfaced that five children died from consuming chips, known as “brown dash”, from two spaza shops on the road.
The children, Zinhle Masilela (7), Isago Mabote (8), Monica Sebetwane (6), Njabulo Msimango (7) and Karabo Rampou (8) died after experiencing severe stomach cramps, vomiting and drowsiness.
ALSO READ:
- Memorial service for 5 Soweto kids who died of suspected poisoning planned for Fri
- Police say vigilantism, lawlessness won't be tolerated after deaths of 5 children in Naledi
- Following deaths of 5 children in Naledi, Lesufi says lone survivor 'critical' to probe
Their friend Katleho Olifant (7) survived but is fighting for his life at Lesedi Private Hospital.
His survival is crucial to establish facts surrounding the children’s movements, interactions and what they may have consumed on the day.
“The one that is in hospital plays a very critical role in this investigation. That is why we are with the family, so that the child can survive and give us the last moments on this matter,” Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said during a visit to the families on Tuesday.
And while police seized goods from both spaza shops, including the chips in question and the packaging for toxicology testing, Daniel and his family fled the area.
EWN tracked down Mphore to an RDP unit where she is currently seeking refuge with her two daughters - one of whom she shares with Daniel.
Speaking openly with her daughters present, Mphore refuted claims of possible rat poison contamination.
“He [Daniel] does sell the snacks, they're called 'brown dash.’ I also help package the snacks at the shop. Even some of the kids that were looting the shop would sometimes help package the snacks on busy days.
“If there was poison at the shop, my children and I would have also been poisoned. We've also eaten the same food. In my opinion, they may have picked up poison elsewhere while playing and shared it with others. I also don't understand.”
She claims to have not interacted with Daniel since Sunday.
“I haven't spoken to Daniel. But obviously he ran away, because he even asked the community what he did wrong. He wouldn't stay here and wait for the community to attack him because they'll kill him.”
Dineo’s mother, Emily, said when she heard the commotion outside the shop on Sunday, she investigated.
“Daniel was already nowhere to be seen. Since the day this happened, Daniel hasn't been seen. We can't call Daniel; they took our phones. They took school things, books, IDs, certificates. The angry community members were trying to force their way in. They were looking for anything to force open the door…
“Daniel and I don't get along. He once came here looking for Dineo, he broke all the windows and the door.”
According to the families, the children all knew one another and would often play together, never veering too far from any one of their homes, all in close proximity.
Interviews with the families of the deceased suggested Monica was the first to die after returning home shortly after 3pm.
Her father, Joseph, said she died in his arms, as he felt the life escape her tiny body.
Meanwhile, the community remains divided following the deaths of five children.
Some claim it's unfair to conclusively say the chips are responsible for the children's deaths, while others won't shake their views on foreign run spaza shops, claiming they're a cesspool of filth, selling expired and contaminated goods.
In August, the City of Johannesburg inspected Daniel’s spaza shop and cleared it on health and safety, giving him the green light to continue operating.
MEMORIAL SERVICE
The children will be laid to rest on Sunday during a funeral service at Naledi Community Hall, while a memorial service and candlelight vigil will be held on Friday.
Lesufi has ordered a thorough investigation into the deaths, dedicating a task team to handle the matters and promising the families postmortem results within two weeks.
But closure may be far off from Lesufi's two-week deadline, as the families of six-year-old Leon Jele and four-year-old Neo Khang, have yet to receive any results of their deaths, a year later.
The two boys from the same community of Naledi died exactly a year ago after allegedly consuming biscuits from a spaza shop.
Despite the city of Joburg claiming the toxicology reports cleared the spaza shop owner after samples of the biscuits were taken for testing, the families have been left in the dark without any feedback from police or health officials - including post-mortem results.