Source: Two sisters die after eating pesticide-contaminated vegetables – herald
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
TWO sisters, aged nine and 11, died after ingesting vegetables suspected to have been contaminated with pesticide at their home in Marange.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the incident, saying police are treating the tragedy as sudden death by poisoning.
He said the tragic deaths of nine-year-old Mercy Murehwa and her 11-year-old sister, Rudo Murehwa happened after they ate vegetables they had plucked from a garden recently sprayed with Imidacloprid, a pesticide used for pest control.
“On October 22, the two’s mother, Chipo Marange was hired by Ms Spiwe Chinemo of Mapeta homestead to water and spray vegetables in her garden.
“She was given the pesticide to carry out the work, and went home after completing the task. Four days later, on October 26, she returned to the garden in the company of her three children, the now-deceased sisters and their five-year-old sibling, Batsirai Murehwa,” he said.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said while at the garden, Rudo plucked some vegetables, which they later cooked and ate at home.
The mother reportedly did not eat the meal as the relish was too little to feed everyone.
Soon after eating, tragedy struck.
“At around 11am, Mercy began vomiting and complaining of stomach pain. Around 4pm, Rudo also developed similar symptoms. Later that night, Mercy’s condition worsened, prompting their mother to seek help from a neighbour, Ms Sheilla Marange. The neighbour accompanied her home, only to find Mercy already dead. As they tried to rush Rudo to a nearby clinic, she also died about a kilometre from their homestead,” he said.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said the two bodies were taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare, before being transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare for post-mortem and toxicology tests.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the vegetables consumed by the two minors were sprayed with a pesticide. Samples of the vegetables and the pesticide have since been collected for forensic examination,” he said.
He added that the mother eventually confessed that her children had plucked the vegetables from the garden she knew had been sprayed, as the family had run out of relish.
“She did not seek medical attention for her children when they started complaining of stomach pains. This is a tragic case that could have been avoided, and we await toxicology results to determine the next course of action,” he said.
He said the National Prosecution Authority advised that possible charges against the mother would be determined after the post-mortem and toxicology results are released.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka urged members of the public to handle agricultural chemicals with extreme care, and never to consume crops soon after spraying.
“Pesticides are dangerous if mishandled, and people should never underestimate their potency. People must always follow safety guidelines when using them to prevent unnecessary loss of life. These substances are meant for agricultural use and should be applied strictly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Communities must always observe waiting periods before harvesting or eating vegetables from sprayed gardens. Even small residues can be harmful, especially to children.
“We continue to urge farmers and households to properly store, label and keep pesticides out of children’s reach to prevent further tragedies of this nature,” he said.
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