The children allegedly got the money to buy the snacks from one of the mothers whose child is still in hospital.
Later, Thandeka was called by neighbours who told her her son was unwell.
“I found him in the streets, and I asked him what was wrong.
“He told me his stomach was sore. He was very weak. He couldn't even walk. I carried him and brought him to the house, called an Uber and took him to the clinic.”
Siyabonga was later pronounced dead. The other three children are still in hospital.
Diepkloof residents have called for the spaza shop to be closed.
Residents sang in front of the shop while police and crime prevention wardens kept a close watch. Some shouted “they must leave”, referring to owner of the shop and his assistants.
The landlord, Maria Gololo, told Sowetan the trader had been renting the shop space for 10 years. She charged R2,800 per month.
“I no longer want them in my yard. I don't know if it's the love of money, but we've been hearing stories from other areas in Soweto that children are dying. I took them in and allowed them to operate because I was getting something (money),” Gololo said.
Ward councillor Brenda Dammie said the community informed her that they tried twice in three weeks to close the shop in the wake of children dying from suspected food poisoning after eating snacks bought at spaza shops.
“Immediately when the community leaves, the people open the spaza shop and start operating.”
Health and environmental experts were on the scene to collect samples from the shop.
‘Dad, come watch me graduate on Friday’
Siyabonga, 5, sent voice note but died after allegedly eating snacks
Image: SUPPLIED
“Dad, I'll be graduating on Friday. Please come watch me. I will be speaking English and they say parents must be there. Please attend.”
This is the message five-year-old Siyabonga Mnisi sent to his father on Monday, telling him about his upcoming grade R graduation.
However, Siyabonga's dad will never see him graduate after his son's death of suspected foodborne illness. He had eaten chips allegedly bought from a local spaza shop.
“I don't know where to go and what to do. I am shocked... I don't know what to say,” said Samuel Mnisi.
“He was very excited about going to grade 1 next year.
“I paid for the graduation, bought him his traditional attire and made arrangements [at work] for me to be present during his big day. I was planning to knock off at 10am so I could spend time with him.”
The school has postponed the graduation in honour of Siyabonga.
5-year-old dies in Diepkloof in suspected food poisoning incident
Gauteng police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the cause of death was unknown at this stage, pending autopsy results.
Siyabonga consumed the snacks at about 6pm on Wednesday and fell ill shortly afterwards.
The grade R pupil from Dumezweni Primary School in Diepkloof was with three other children at the time.from the same school - a grade R girl, a grade 1 girl and a grade 4 boy.
Mnisi said he received a call informing him his son was unwell and had been rushed to hospital.
Thirty minutes later he received another call informing him Siyabonga had died.
“I got into a taxi and went to the hospital. When I got there I could not believe what happened,” the father said.
Siyabonga's mother Thandeka said she was home when her son and his friends went to buy snacks from the spaza shop.
The children allegedly got the money to buy the snacks from one of the mothers whose child is still in hospital.
Later, Thandeka was called by neighbours who told her her son was unwell.
“I found him in the streets, and I asked him what was wrong.
“He told me his stomach was sore. He was very weak. He couldn't even walk. I carried him and brought him to the house, called an Uber and took him to the clinic.”
Siyabonga was later pronounced dead. The other three children are still in hospital.
Diepkloof residents have called for the spaza shop to be closed.
Residents sang in front of the shop while police and crime prevention wardens kept a close watch. Some shouted “they must leave”, referring to owner of the shop and his assistants.
The landlord, Maria Gololo, told Sowetan the trader had been renting the shop space for 10 years. She charged R2,800 per month.
“I no longer want them in my yard. I don't know if it's the love of money, but we've been hearing stories from other areas in Soweto that children are dying. I took them in and allowed them to operate because I was getting something (money),” Gololo said.
Ward councillor Brenda Dammie said the community informed her that they tried twice in three weeks to close the shop in the wake of children dying from suspected food poisoning after eating snacks bought at spaza shops.
“Immediately when the community leaves, the people open the spaza shop and start operating.”
Health and environmental experts were on the scene to collect samples from the shop.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
Gauteng economic development and finance MEC Lebogang Maile visited the area and told reporters the shop was “not hygienic, nor conducive”, and the people running it [allegedly] slept and bathed in it.
Maile said he was informed the spaza shop owners were in the country legally.
“We have health and environmental inspectors who are looking at all the items — I have seen them [the items] myself. They have expired. Those that have expired must be confiscated.”
Maile, however, said to assume all spaza shops are “bad” would be unfair.
“Yes, we are angry, upset, concerned and worried but it doesn't mean we must act irrationally and act outside the ambit of the law. We need to ask our communities to take responsibility because they know about the existence of illegal, unsuitable and unhygienic tuck shops like this one and they continue to buy from them.”
SowetanLIVE
READ MORE:
Three pupils hospitalised, 5-year-old dies from suspected food poisoning in Diepkloof
‘I no longer want them in my yard’ — landlord after another child dies from food poisoning
Lesufi warns locals against registering spaza shops for foreigners
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