IN PICS: Joint funeral for Soweto minors who died in suspected poisoning

A joint funeral service for six-year-old Leon Jele and four-year-old Neo Kgang went ahead on Wednesday despite the discontent and lingering questions over the death of the minors.

Naledi residents and bereaved families gathered at the Naledi Hall in Soweto to bid farewell to the boys.

Jele and Kgang fell sick and died on October 1 in an alleged food poisoning incident.

They were among four children who ate biscuits allegedly from a local spaza shop. Two other children were hospitalised but one has since been discharged.

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Speakers at the funeral called the tragedy a wakeup call citing that the incident should never happen again in South Africa.

They called for the government to accelerate the toxicology report and ensure that both families get closure.

Neighbour, Lereko Molopise revealed that a report into the cause of death indicated that the stomach contents had traces of carbamate, typically used as pesticides known as halephirimi. According to Molopise, pathologists said a toxicology report would fully analysis their findings to determine the kind of poison.

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“The pathologists were taking us from pillar to post. They said they will do toxicology report which could take up to a year. I was not happy and questioned what would be written on the death certificate.

“We went straight to the mortuary, and we insisted that we would not take the body before we know the cause and what was found in the stomach contents.

“We were shown a document that revealed that the cause of death was consistent with carbamate,” he said to shocked congregants.

He said there was a need for government to enforce stricter measures when it comes to food handling in spaza shops.

Florence Kgang, a family representative said they were not satisfied and felt let down that the minors were laid to rest without a clear lead on their death.

“We are frustrated and dismayed that we are burying the children but yet we still don’t know what caused their deaths.

“It is extremely difficult because we have no sense of closure and we are appealing to government to speed up the process so we can get the results and move forward with the case and find closure and healing from this tragedy. We want to be able to stop all the speculation and assumption, knowing what happened.”

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Leon Jele’s grandfather, Tshepo Williams said the incident was still a bitter pill for the family as they tried to stay strong.
“It is hard, I will try to be strong but it has been hard.

“This has also been hard on Leon’s mother even though she is trying to be strong. That is why I asked social workers to come and speak to her because she has been really struggling,” he said.

SAPS Captain Mavela Masondo told Urban News that police were still waiting for the post-mortem and toxicology reports that will confirm the cause of death.

The pair was laid to rest at Olifansvlei cemetery, South of Johannesburg.