A Mpumalanga community already gripped by tensions over illegal immigration has been plunged into mourning after a four-year-old boy and his uncle died after allegedly eating biscuits handed to them by a foreign national who was leaving the area.
The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday night in Klarinet, outside Emalahleni, where the tenant had been renting a tuck shop before reportedly deciding to leave following heightened anti-illegal immigration protests in the community.
While police have yet to confirm the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the incident has sent shockwaves through the township, reviving painful memories of South Africa’s deadly tuck shop food poisoning crisis.
Emalahleni Speaker Millicent Shabangu visited the bereaved family on Thursday, describing a community devastated by the sudden deaths.
“The councillor in this area reported to me last night that she was called regarding the incident in this ward. She had to move from a meeting and rush to the clinic. When she got there, she found that there are children from the Nkosi and Sithole families who fell sick,” Shabangu told Newzroom Afrika.
‘Municipality deeply saddened’
She said the municipality was deeply saddened by the deaths, particularly because they involved a young child.
“When we arrived, we found that there is a four-year-old child and his uncle who resides here. The foreign tenant was leaving the area because of the removal of foreign nationals in the area. While leaving, he gave them biscuits and the uncle gave [them] to the four-year-old and others,” she said.
According to Shabangu, those who ate the biscuits became ill almost immediately and were rushed to a nearby clinic.
“We are yet to hear from authorities if indeed the deaths resulted from consuming the biscuits. We are hurt. We came as community members and parents,” she said.
Anti-migrant protests
The community had joined nationwide protests on June 25 calling for the removal of undocumented foreign nationals. Government representatives later met residents and received a memorandum outlining their concerns.
Thursday’s sombre mood stood in stark contrast to the demonstrations that had dominated the area just weeks earlier, as grieving residents gathered to comfort the affected families while awaiting answers.
The incident has also rekindled memories of the country’s deadly tuck shop food poisoning crisis, which claimed the lives of at least 22 children and left thousands of others ill during 2024, prompting a nationwide food safety crackdown.
Although many of those cases were initially blamed on expired food, investigations later found that several deaths were linked to highly toxic agricultural pesticides, including terbufos, an organophosphate chemical illegally sold in some communities as rat poison under the street name “halephirimi”. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto, were caused by terbufos ingestion, shifting the focus beyond spoiled food to the illegal circulation of hazardous chemicals.
The crisis prompted nationwide inspections of spaza shops, tighter controls on dangerous pesticides and mandatory registration of food-handling businesses. Authorities have repeatedly cautioned against speculation before forensic investigations determine the exact cause of suspected food poisoning cases.
In the Emalahleni incident, police have not confirmed that the biscuits were poisoned or that any criminal offence had been committed. Investigators are expected to determine whether the deaths were caused by contaminated food, poisonous chemicals or another medical condition.
Mpumalanga police had not responded to requests for comment by publication time.
- A four-year-old boy and his uncle died after allegedly eating biscuits given by a foreign national leaving Klarinet, Mpumalanga amid anti-illegal immigration protests.
- The foreign tenant was reportedly leaving due to heightened anti-immigrant sentiments; those who consumed the biscuits fell ill immediately and were taken to a clinic.
- Authorities have not yet confirmed if the deaths were caused by poisoned biscuits; investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause.
- The tragedy has deeply affected the community and revived memories of South Africa’s deadly 2024 tuck shop food poisoning crisis linked to toxic pesticides like terbufos.
- The incident underscores ongoing tensions over illegal immigration and the need for food safety vigilance as the community mourns and awaits answers.
