By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
As the country grapples with the scourge of foodborne illnesses and poisoning, another death occurred on Thursday, linked to chemical poisoning in Diepkloof, Soweto.
SA Police Service (SAPS) confirmed the death and they’ve opened an inquest after a five-year-old died.
Police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the cause of death is unknown at this stage, pending autopsy results.
Fullview learnt the child was vomiting and had a runny stomach before being taken to a local clinic where he was declared dead.
This latest death comes as a multidisciplinary team, set up to coordinate efforts to address incidents of chemical poisoning, is to brief the public on Thursday.
The briefing will outline the government’s action plan to manage foodborne illnesses.
To date, 23 children have died and close to a thousand have fallen ill.
Meanwhile police in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have uncovered two warehouses used to store expired food products south of Durban.
The expired items were discovered during an operation in the Bluff area on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said food items such as canned fish, fizzy drinks, soya beans, baby food and spices, which are mostly used on chips, were found stored with hazardous chemicals such as pesticides.
Counterfeit prescription medication, body lotion and expired alcoholic beverages were also found in the two warehouses.”
Netshiunda said during the operation, police also discovered two more warehouses which were storing counterfeit big-brand clothing items worth millions of rand.
“Investigations are underway to locate the people responsible for the sale of expired food which is mostly sold at the township and village spaza shops, as well as the importers of fake clothing items.
“Police have also intensified operations to detect vessels that come into the country carrying prohibited items and products that have not been authorized to be in the country, “Netshiunda said.
The Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has commended the various units that discovered the warehouses.
Mkhwanazi vowed not to “leave any stone unturned” in search of the people who put the lives of South Africans at risk, especially children who buy expired food from local spaza shops.