'It’s a trend, it’s scary': Lady Du calls for restrictions on selling rat poison to kids

Lady Du has called on Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi to intervene in restricting the sale of rat poison to children. 

The recent incident at Tsakane Secondary School of two pupils allegedly taking their own lives made the musician and businesswoman sound the alarm to authorities to prioritise mental health awareness in schools. 

"Can we kindly take this rat poison issue seriously? We have a lot of kids committing suicide, it’s scary. Shops should stop selling rat poison to kids. It’s a trend, it’s scary. We need to act now @Lesufi, please.  We need more awareness on mental health in schools," she wrote on her X timeline.

The department issued a wide-ranging statement in reaction, denying the video depicted the suicide of two pupils. However, spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed the deaths of two girls, one in matric and the other in grade 8. The first died on August 7 and the other a day later.

“According to information at our disposal, another grade 8 boy pupil brought poison to the school on August 8 and consumed it in full view of other pupils after the two previously reported deaths. This pupil was immediately rushed to a local medical facility and is recovering.

TimesLIVE consulted psychiatrist Dr Shlomo Brook about two incidents that took place early in July. One was a grade 8 girl from Geluksdal Secondary School in Ekurhuleni, who drank poison at home and died on her way to a health facility. The other was a matric pupil from Nigel High School, who also took poison at home and died.

Brook said these incidents have increased in black communities and townships.

“This is an imminent disaster, and in the past it was mostly in white schools and communities, but now that I work in Krugersdorp [I have seen] there is more in black society.

“Families don’t understand what is happening [with their children] and are not aware of depression,” he said.