Memorial service for 5 Soweto kids who died of suspected poisoning planned for Fri

JOHANNESBURG - A memorial service is being planned for Friday in honour of five children who died after allegedly consuming snacks from a spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto.

The victims died on Sunday sending shockwaves in the community as the tragedy is not the first of its kind in the area.

According to the bereaved families of the children, aged between six and nine, the Gauteng provincial government has offered to cover the costs of the service.

Questions continue to mount over the causes of death of five children.

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The tenant of the spaza shop has since fled after angry community members looted and threatened to burn it down on Sunday.

On Tuesday, officials from the City of Joburg revealed the spaza shop was inspected in August and given the green light to continue operating, as it had passed health and safety regulations.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has committed a task team to investigate the deaths of the children, providing a deadline of two weeks for the postmortem results to be concluded.