Two children die after consuming plant leaves in Zebediela

Two children have died while three others were treated and discharged from hospital after they allegedly consumed the leaves of the Yellow Oleander plant in Zebediela, outside Polokwane, Limpopo.

Community leader Dolly Mahlobogoane says the two-year-old children, who were neighbours, were playing when they ate the poisonous plant.

Mahlobogoane says the children experienced vomiting and diarrhoea and were taken to the hospital where they passed away.

She says the community is devastated. “Most of our people in our village have unknowingly planted this flower tree in their homes not knowing its dangers as it is used for decoration. We are badly affected by these deaths of the children here in Mogoto and we do not even know what to do as we have never experienced such saddening deaths in our community. When these children were growing up, we had hopes and expectations that they would grow up to be adults and leaders of our society,” says Mahlobogoane.

The Capricorn District Municipality Spokesperson Kgabo Senyatsi says their environment team will raise awareness about the poisonous plant in communities.

“Our environmental management team launched an investigation and research into the tree, which revealed that it is so poisonous that injecting one leaf is enough to kill an adult. We are, therefore, raising awareness to alert residents to get rid of this particular tree,” says Kgafane.