Six children who died earlier this month in Naledi, Soweto, had ingested a chemical compound used in pesticides, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said.
Providing an update on the investigation into the learners’ sudden deaths at a media briefing on Monday, Motsoaledi confirmed that all six children died of Terbufos ingestion.
“As you know, organophosphate is not one substance but a group of substances, which are usually used in agriculture or as pesticides. The organophosphate identified in this instance is called Terbufos,” he said.
The Minister revealed that as part of the investigation, a group 80 environmental health practitioners, or health inspectors, were dispersed. They were joined by officials from other government departments whose line of work is relevant to the food-borne problem in Naledi.
“As said before they visited 84 spaza shops in search of the evidence of a chemical which we believed was responsible for the illnesses and fatalities that befell our nation, especially in Naledi, Soweto,” he explained.
Government has called for calm following reports of angry community members looting, destroying and shutting down foreign-owned spaza shops linked to food poisoning cases in the area.
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