Dr Aaron Motsoaledi the Health Minister stated that six children from Naled In Soweto passed away as a result of consuming organophosphate, Terbufos which's often present in pesticides.
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[WATCH] Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says the cause of death for the 6 children who died in Naledi, Soweto, was organophosphate, a chemical substance usually used as a pesticide. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/Gyp7jvQ28P
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 28, 2024
This confirmation was made following investigations and toxicological reports.
The children tragically passed away due to organophosphate poisoning. Apparently the organophosphate was not detected in a packet of chips that was consumed by a child, indicating that the contamination may have come from another source.
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There has been a lot of concern from the public and the media about this issue recently, Minister Motsoaledi has spoken about it directly.
Minister of health highlighted how children are more at risk from these toxins because of their bodies and less developed immune systems.
The origin of the organophosphate that affected the children has not been definitively pinpointed in terms of how it got into their bodies, investigations at convenience stores have discovered organophosphates. But have not directly linked them to the chips consumed by the children.
The event caused uproar among the community with demonstrations taking place locally and resulted in spaza shops shutting down temporarily while also sparking discussions on food safety concerns within educational institutions.
In the aftermath of these events there has been a push for rules or inspections on food for purchase particularly within educational settings. Some areas are taking steps to stop the selling of food in schools as a safety measure.