The family of two children from Orange Farm, Gauteng, who purportedly died after swallowing pap and salt anxiously awaits postmortem findings to determine the children’s specific cause of death.
On August 23, it was stated that Sebabatso Lerata, age 2, and Itumeleng Lerata, age 4, were well and playing in the yard as usual.
Moipone Lerata, the children’s aunt from Orange Farm, explained to Drum how random the children’s death was.
Lerata told Drum that they permitted the children to play in the yard, as they did on a daily basis, in order to provide a detailed account of what transpired.
Lerata said that in the afternoon, when the children arrived at the home for dinner, they were still cooking, but the pap was ready.
“While waiting for the meat, we decided to provide them some pap and salt so they would have something to eat. Immediately after eating her meal, the elder sibling complained of a hurting stomach and expressed a desire to sleep. “After resting down, her mother saw that the child had an excessive child of saliva and instructed her to spit outdoors,” she stated.
A saucepan of grits. Photo courtesy of Facebook/Ace Maize Meal.
When the child attempted to wake up, her knees were weak, and they realized something was amiss, according to the aunt.
After then, an excessive amount of saliva began to froth. The kid’s mother brought her to the clinic, where they were informed that they arrived too late and the child had already died.
“As I attempted to digest the tragic news, I phoned home to notify them, but they informed me that the mother of the 2-year-old is on her way to the hospital because she is in the same condition as her sister.” “When they arrived at the clinic, the child was still alive, but the doctors were unable to save her, and she also died,” she continued.
Lerata said that physicians assume the children may have taken poison, but they are still awaiting the results of the autopsy.
The children were apparently given pap with a little amount of salt, and their aunt argued it wasn’t too much, despite knowing that no one can tolerate too much salt. The aunt wanted the children to have something to munch on as they waited for their meal.
At the clinic, they said that they had no answers, but they assume that the children may have consumed something harmful.
The family suspects that the two kids may have eaten something they found in the backyard, maybe from the trash can, but they are unsure.
According to reports, the youngsters were put to rest on Thursday.