THE grandmother of a child who died after eating lunch at school says she is being blamed for the deaths of three children.
Lindiwe Mahleya - whose granddaughter Sibongile Mahleya, 8, died along with cousins Precious Mahlangu, 6, and Mbali Mahlangu, 8, on Friday after eating the school-provided lunch and biscuits baked by Mahleya - said she was feeling "double the pain".
The children attended school in Winterveldt, north of Pretoria.
The Grade 1 and 2 pupils ate a lunch of samp at about noon. After returning to class, they began vomiting.
They were rushed to a nearby clinic where they died of suspected food poisoning.
Though it is not clear what killed the children, Mahleya said there were rumours they could have died from the biscuits Sibongile took to school .
Mahleya said the principal had told people the three ate biscuits that were not part of the school menu that day.
"I feel double the pain. I feel like the principal and people out there are accusing me of poisoning the children.
"How can I kill my own child? I do not know the other children and their families."
She said she made the biscuits on Wednesday evening .
"I prepared my granddaughter for school and gave her five cookies and juice. We all ate those cookies and nothing happened to us.
"I was shocked when I heard that the children died after eating the cookies. I want to know what killed my child."
Precious and Mbali's uncle Klaas Mahlangu, 34, said: "The children do not take food to school. The principal is telling people that the children ate cookies and we are disturbed by his allegations. The children ate the same food as the rest of the school, but they died."
Mbali's mother Mariah Mahlangu said: "I feel like I am dreaming and I cannot wake up. I walked the children to school before I went to work and there was nothing wrong with them. I was shocked when I heard that they fell sick and died."
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said he was concerned about food poisoning allegations.
Education spokeswoman Phumla Sekhonyane said there would be an independent investigation and "food served on the day was taken for testing by health inspectors".
"The police have also opened an inquest."
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Gran rejects claims her cookies killed 3 pupils
THE grandmother of a child who died after eating lunch at school says she is being blamed for the deaths of three children.
Lindiwe Mahleya - whose granddaughter Sibongile Mahleya, 8, died along with cousins Precious Mahlangu, 6, and Mbali Mahlangu, 8, on Friday after eating the school-provided lunch and biscuits baked by Mahleya - said she was feeling "double the pain".
The children attended school in Winterveldt, north of Pretoria.
The Grade 1 and 2 pupils ate a lunch of samp at about noon. After returning to class, they began vomiting.
They were rushed to a nearby clinic where they died of suspected food poisoning.
Though it is not clear what killed the children, Mahleya said there were rumours they could have died from the biscuits Sibongile took to school .
Mahleya said the principal had told people the three ate biscuits that were not part of the school menu that day.
"I feel double the pain. I feel like the principal and people out there are accusing me of poisoning the children.
"How can I kill my own child? I do not know the other children and their families."
She said she made the biscuits on Wednesday evening .
"I prepared my granddaughter for school and gave her five cookies and juice. We all ate those cookies and nothing happened to us.
"I was shocked when I heard that the children died after eating the cookies. I want to know what killed my child."
Precious and Mbali's uncle Klaas Mahlangu, 34, said: "The children do not take food to school. The principal is telling people that the children ate cookies and we are disturbed by his allegations. The children ate the same food as the rest of the school, but they died."
Mbali's mother Mariah Mahlangu said: "I feel like I am dreaming and I cannot wake up. I walked the children to school before I went to work and there was nothing wrong with them. I was shocked when I heard that they fell sick and died."
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said he was concerned about food poisoning allegations.
Education spokeswoman Phumla Sekhonyane said there would be an independent investigation and "food served on the day was taken for testing by health inspectors".
"The police have also opened an inquest."
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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