The Spar group has sent a national recall of every flavour of Top Score instant maize porridge after three young children died from food poisoning after allegedly consuming the product in Mdantsane on Friday.
Police are investigating the deaths of Lithembelihle Bambela, 4, Iminathi Bambela, 1, and Live Ndudane, 1, who allegedly ate the vanilla-flavoured Top Score instant maize porridge with an older child.
Nande Ndudane described how she and Khanyisile Bambela, who live in the same neighbourhood, rushed their children to the Nontyatyambo Health Care Centre in a bid to save their lives.
Ndudane said her baby and the other children had been fed the same food.
She said a few moments later they noticed that there was something wrong with one of the children.
“When we got inside, I noticed that my child was foaming at the mouth,” Ndudane said.
“As we were paying attention to that, another child came inside and collapsed immediately.”
When they asked the child what was wrong, she said she had a stomach-ache.
“We carried them to the main road to get a car. Before we got to the stop, there was foam in her mouth and nose,” she said.
On their arrival at the health facility, they were told the other child had died.
“They took the other children we had brought inside the centre, and they told us they were waiting for an ambulance.”
She said the police who were at the centre wanted to see the porridge the children had consumed.
“Someone went to fetch it. When we opened it we saw a small [piece of] plastic inside.”
Police spokesperson Col Siphokazi Mawisa said: “According to the report, it is alleged that they ate instant porridge and afterwards they complained of stomach ache.
“They were taken to a nearby clinic, where they died.
“Police were summoned to the scene. A postmortem will be conducted, but a police investigation is under way.”
Spar Eastern Cape MD Siyolo Dick said: “While the cause of death is still to be ascertained, we have been in contact with the supplier to immediately suspend distribution of the product.
“We have also taken the precautionary measure of removing the product from our shelves while the necessary food safety measures are being conducted, which include comprehensive laboratory testing.
“The Spar group is shocked and deeply saddened by reports on social media of three children tragically passing away last night after allegedly consuming Namibian-produced Top Score vanilla-flavoured instant maize porridge.”
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the supermarket where the porridge was allegedly bought had been “temporarily closed down to detain all the batches of suspected products” on Saturday.
“While a direct link to the fatalities has not been scientifically established, we suspect organophosphate poisoning based on clinical information obtained from the treatment facility [Nontyatyambo Health Clinic].
“This is however, subject to reports of the products’ sampling test results.”
The Buffalo City Metro has been conducting weekly operations targeting food-selling premises and spaza shops to enforce bylaws regarding safety, health and environmental standards.
BCM mayor Princess Faku visited the bereaved family at their home on Sunday morning.
“The news is devastating,” she said.
“We don’t understand why these incidents are happening, especially when food is bought in places where you trust the brand of the retail shop.
“We are here to support the family and these young mothers.
“There needs to be support. We want to convey our heartfelt condolences.”
Spar representatives were present, but declined to speak to the media.
Khula Community Development Trust director and children’s rights activist Petros Majola visited the family shortly afterwards and called for a thorough investigation by authorities.
DispatchLIVE
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