Soweto kids’ deaths due to Organophosphate, says Motsoaledi
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says experts have identified the chemical that led to the deaths of six children in Soweto in Gauteng.
"The results show the cause of death is unequivocally Organophosphate."
The children from Naledi died this month allegedly after consuming snacks from a spaza shop.
The incident sparked growing concerns about suspected contaminated foods in the country.
Last week, a group of health inspectors visited over 80 spaza shops in the area to trace the cause of death.
Toxicology reports from the children's post-mortems revealed Terbufosa lethal substance used as a pesticide, as the direct cause.
READ: ANC wants regulations for spaza shops to be strengthened
Minister Motsoaledi says the four people arrested in Johannesburg last week in connection with the incident were found selling a different chemical that wasn't linked to the children's deaths.
He says samples that were taken in the various spaza shops in Soweto have been sent to the National Health Laboratory Service for testing.
"This means that while there was sound in the body of these children, we are still waiting to see if organophosphate was found inside the tuck shop so we can link the events."
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