Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni says only the outcome of their investigation will determine if anyone may be held criminally liable for the deaths of children who ate contaminated food.
So far investigations have revealed that insect poison was found to have caused the deaths of some of the children.
“The pathologists reflected that it is carbamates. It is a bate which kills insects but that does not mean it overrules the question of saying that halephirimi might have been used,” said Mthombeni.
Gauteng commissioner Lt-Gen Mthombeni has revealed that the six children who passed in Naledi, Soweto early in October were killed by a substance used to kill insects called Carbamates.
— Koena Mashale (@Koena_xM) October 24, 2024
He said investigations are still ongoing to determine who is responsible.@SowetanLIVE pic.twitter.com/9uWrmVLNQv
“It is common knowledge that in our residential places when we've got challenges with the rats, in terms of insects, we use those of which one cannot overrule... after we have applied it, highly probable, they [carbamates] may [have] at the end of the day [touched] some of the food. These issues remain there.
The pathologists reflected that it is carbamates. It is a bate which kills insects but that does not mean it overrules the question of saying that halephirimi might have been used,
— Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni
“Not to say someone is not going to be held criminally liable,” adding that investigations were ongoing.
He said samples had been taken from areas where it is suspected that children fell ill and died after consuming products bought from spaza shops.
“We will move with the investigation and see who will be held responsible.”
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