By Everson Luhanga
While the Maaboi family mourns the death of 10-year-old Lesedi, they are also anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones who are still in hospital fighting for their lives.
Little Lesedi lost her life after allegedly eating food that she bought and shared with her mother and brother.
Speaking to the media on Monday from their house in Alexandra, the father of the deceased, Joshua Maaboi, said that around 7pm, his late daughter came into the house holding snacks that they have been eating.
She asked her mother to smell the snacks, and the mother confirmed that they had a strange smell. The youngest child also had an open packet of the same snacks.
The mother then took the packets and put them in the bin.
He said later on, his wife and the children complained of stomach cramps. They were all rushed to Maskhane clinic, where staff attempted to assist them. Unfortunately, the girl child later died.
Maria Molaudi and her son Refense are still in hospital.
Political figures, including the Gauteng MEC for Finance, Lebogang Maile, visited the family on Monday in Alexandra.
MEC Maile called for a state of emergency in response to recent food poisoning incidents in the province.
Maile said that the government should be more accountable for recent developments.
He called on community members to work with law enforcement, including health inspectors and the police.
“There’s a problem if there’s poisonous food on the shelves. This food is manufactured somewhere, so we have to look at the whole value chain and not just at the food on the shelves.
“When inspectors find poisonous food, we have to get a response and accountability from the shop owners on where they buy these goods so that we deal with the problem from the beginning and not the end.”
He urged residents not to take the law into their own hands.
On Sunday, some local spaza shops were broken into, and stock was burnt.
“We also want to implore law enforcement authorities and those who are entrusted with the responsibility to do inspections to do better and do more, to be aggressive and quicker and make sure that they cover as many areas as possible.”
He said the recent crisis required a proactive approach.
Pictured above: Joshua Maaboi, the father of the deceased.
Source: Supplied
