Key points
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An eight-year-old boy is fighting for his life after consuming contaminated snacks.
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Authorities have launched an investigation into the food safety at the shop.
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Family calls for accountability and faster action on the case.
An eight-year-old boy from Mapetla, Soweto, remains in critical condition in ICU after consuming snacks from a local spaza shop.
Paramedics rushed the boy to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, where he cannot speak or breathe without assistance.
Despite doctors removing him from mechanical ventilators, his condition remains unstable. Consequently, family members keep vigil at the hospital, hoping for his recovery.
The boy’s aunt, Virginia Morapedi, shared that he can only respond by nodding, as he struggles to breathe on his own.
“He can hear people talking but he only responds by nodding,” Morapedi said.
“His blood pressure was very high yesterday. We just wish he could move out of the ICU.” The family’s daily routine centers around praying for his recovery while they anxiously wait for news about when he might be discharged.
Ongoing investigation and spaza shop closure
The family is also part of an ongoing investigation. Police interviewed the boy’s siblings, who also ate the snack but showed no symptoms.
Authorities are focusing their investigation on food safety at the Robot Tuckshop, where the boy purchased a maize snack and drink on the morning of April 4. By 1 p.m. that same day, the boy began vomiting and complaining of stomach pains.
Paramedics quickly transferred him from Chiawelo Clinic to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
City of Johannesburg spokesperson Virgil James confirmed that inspectors recovered an empty snack packet and products from the same batch at the shop.
The Environmental Health Department (EHD) is leading the investigation. James said authorities closed the shop after the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.
Concerns over spaza shop reopening
The family expressed concerns after hearing rumors that the tuck shop, believed to be run by foreign nationals, plans to reopen.
Morapedi said, “I heard they want to reopen because they’re worried about stock expiring and paying rent. All they are thinking about is selling and paying rent, while our child fights for his life.”
She called on law enforcement to speed up the investigation and hold the responsible parties accountable. The boy’s mother and father can visit their son in the ICU. However, Morapedi emphasized that authorities must serve justice to prevent further tragedies.
