An eight-year-old boy is fighting for his life in ICU after consuming allegedly contaminated snacks from a spaza shop in Soweto.
Image: File: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
The family of an eight-year-old boy from Mapetla, in Soweto, hospitalised at Chris Hani Baragwanath after eating snacks from a local spaza shop, says he remains in ICU, unable to speak and struggling to breathe on his own.
Speaking to IOL News on Thursday, the boy's aunt, Virginia Morapedi, said his condition remains critical.
She said although he has been taken off mechanical ventilators, he is still struggling to breathe on his own.
"His condition is on and off. He’s trying to breathe without assistance, but the doctors tell us he’s still struggling," Morapedi said.
She said only the boy’s mother and father are allowed into the ward to visit him.
Every day, they spend long hours at the hospital, praying for his recovery.
"He can't do anything, he can't even speak," Morapedi said.
"He can hear people talking but he only responds by nodding. Yesterday (Wednesday), his mother said his blood pressure was very high … We just wish he could be moved out of the ICU."
The family said they do not know when he will be discharged, as he remains under close observation.
Morapedi said the police interviewed the boy’s siblings, who also ate the snack, as part of the ongoing investigation.
"The police came to take their statements," Morapedi said.
"However, we have not heard anything from Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa, regarding the progress of the investigation."
Hlabisa, who visited the boy in hospital last week on Thursday, called for stricter health and safety compliance at spaza shops.
"What we need to embark on now is to reinforce that every spaza shop that has not gone through the process of registration should not operate," Hlabisa said.
"I am happy that the spaza shop where the child reportedly bought the snack has been shut down."
Meanwhile, Morapedi expressed concern after hearing rumours that the tuck shop owners, believed to be foreign nationals, were planning to reopen the shop.
"I heard that they want to reopen because they’re worried about stock expiring and having to pay rent," she said.
"All they are thinking about is selling and paying rent, while our child is fighting for his life."
Morapedi called on law enforcement to speed up the investigation and hold those responsible accountable.
City of Johannesburg spokesperson Virgil James said that the Environmental Health Department (EHD) acted after receiving a video from a ward councillor reporting a suspected food poisoning case in Mapetla on April 5.
James said EHD inspectors interviewed the family on April 7.
The family said the boy had bought a maize snack and drink from Robot Tuckshop around 9am on April 4.
By 1pm, he began vomiting, complained of stomach pains, and lost mobility.
He was rushed to Chiawelo Clinic and later transferred to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
The other three siblings, who shared the snack, showed no symptoms but were treated as a precaution and sent home.
James said police recovered an empty snack packet and removed products from the same batch at the shop.
He confirmed that an investigation has been opened.
IOL News
