Mapetla, Soweto – An eight-year-old boy from Mapetla, Soweto, is fighting for his life in hospital after allegedly consuming contaminated snacks purchased from a local spaza shop. The incident has ignited fury and concern amongst residents, highlighting the ongoing issue of unregistered spaza shops operating in the area, despite a government registration deadline having passed over a month ago.
The child's family say he fell ill on Friday shortly after eating chips bought from the shop. His aunt, Virginia Morapedi, described the terrifying ordeal: "He collapsed in pain, complaining that he couldn’t stand, and that his stomach had turned grey." The family immediately rushed him to Tshiawelo Clinic via a Bolt taxi, where nurses suspected poisoning.
"One of the nurses said the symptoms were consistent with rat poison, ha le phirimi," Morapedi recalled, explaining that after the initial assessment at the clinic, the police were called and went to the spaza shop to collect samples of the snacks the child had eaten.
Due to the severity of his condition, the boy was urgently transferred to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. A doctor there confirmed the seriousness of the case, noting its disturbing similarities to a tragedy last year in Naledi, where six children died after allegedly eating poisoned snacks from another spaza shop. Health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed at the time that organophosphates – commonly found in rat poison – had been detected in that case.
Morapedi, speaking on Saturday, revealed the grim prognosis: "He said [the boy] was on life support and that his organs were shutting down and advised us to always have our phones on but that they are trying their best."
The City of Johannesburg has acknowledged the incident. Spokesperson Virgil James told Sowetan, "The matter is currently under investigation and we cannot comment further, however, we empathise with the family." He added that the incident "emphasised the importance of compliance and inspections," and confirmed that the spaza shop had been closed.
However, the closure of the shop was not without conflict. Upon hearing that the child had fallen ill, angry Mapetla residents forced the owner, a Pakistani national, to shut down the spaza shop. The family said the owner returned on Saturday, accompanied by members of a Pakistani business forum, who argued that the community did not have the right to close the shop.
Despite this initial confrontation, residents held a meeting on Monday and reaffirmed their decision to keep the shop closed, allowing the owner to remove the stock.
Some residents have alleged that the spaza shop operated in unhygienic conditions. "Sweets and cigarettes were stored in the same container and snacks were placed on top of powder," said one resident, raising concerns about potential contamination.
The incident has reignited debate about the regulation and monitoring of spaza shops in townships. According to James, "since the deadline for registering spaza shops, no spaza shops had been approved, and none had been closed for non-compliance so far. “We are still busy with the verification process,” he said, a statement that is likely to fuel further anger and frustration within the community.
Meanwhile, Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni was in Soweto yesterday to launch a R500m support fund for township businesses. The initiative includes provisions for bulk buying, shop upgrades, and training in hygiene and business compliance, a move that, while welcomed, may be seen as too little, too late in the face of this latest tragedy.
