Police urged community members not to consume foodstuffs obtained during looting.
For illustrative purposes. Picture: thehappyfoodie.co.uk
Police have opened two inquest dockets after a 43‑year‑old man and his 4‑year‑old nephew collapsed and died from suspected food poisoning shortly after eating biscuits allegedly looted from a local spaza shop in Mpumalanga.
The incident occurred in Witbank on Wednesday, 08 July 2026.
Looting
Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo said they are investigating the death of the uncle and nephew.
“It is reported that the owner of the tuck shop, who is a foreign national, had arranged with the landlord to store his stock in the main house. This was after he heard that there was looting of tuck shops belonging to foreign nationals in the area.”
Deaths
Masondo said the landlord allegedly consumed some of the biscuits and shared them with his nephew.
“Shortly afterwards, both of them started feeling dizzy and vomiting. They were taken to a local medical facility, where they were certified dead on arrival.
“The source of the biscuits and the cause of death will be determined through post-mortem examinations,” Masondo said.
Police urge community members not to consume foodstuffs obtained during looting, as their safety cannot be guaranteed.
Accountability
Meanwhile, almost 18 months after the spate of food poisoning incidents that claimed the lives of more than 20 children, nobody has yet been held accountable.
Authorities attributed the deaths to organophosphates and the poor storage of food products at spaza shops.
Outcry
The public outcry led to a mass registration of spaza shops and informal traders under the guise of protecting communities from unregulated traders.
Four people were arrested in October 2024 in what seemed related to the food poisoning incidents, but Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi later clarified that they were arrested for being in possession of a chemical illegally.
The Ministry of Police was recently asked via written parliamentary question how far the investigations into the deaths had progressed and what consequences could still be expected.
Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale
