Johnson Progress

In a devastating incident that underscores the lethal dangers of improper pesticide handling, two young sisters from Marange have died after consuming vegetables contaminated with a toxic agricultural chemical.

 

The children, identified as nine-year-old Mercy Murehwa and her 11-year-old sister, Rudo Murehwa, succumbed to poisoning after eating produce freshly picked from a recently sprayed garden.

 

Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the incident, stating that authorities are investigating the case as a sudden death by poisoning.

 

He provided a detailed chronology of the tragic event, which began on October 22.

 

Assistant Inspector Chinyoka explained that the children’s mother, Chipo Marange, had been hired by a local woman, Ms Spiwe Chinemo, 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,” he said.

 

The fatal sequence of events unfolded four days later, on October 26, when the mother returned to the garden with her three children.

 

Assistant Inspector Chinyoka detailed what happened next.

 

“While at the garden, Rudo plucked some vegetables, which they later cooked and ate at home.”

 

He further noted that the mother did not partake in the meal because the portion of relish was insufficient for the entire family.

 

The consequences of the contaminated meal were swift and severe.

 

Soon after eating, the two sisters began to exhibit alarming symptoms.

 

Assistant Inspector Chinyoka described the distressing turn of events.

 

“At around 11am, Mercy began vomiting and complaining of stomach pain. Around 4pm, Rudo also developed similar symptoms.”

 

As the situation escalated that night, the mother sought help from a neighbour after Mercy’s condition deteriorated critically.

 

Tragically, their efforts were in vain.

 

“The neighbour accompanied her home, only to find Mercy already dead,” Assistant Inspector Chinyoka stated.

 

“As they tried to rush Rudo to a nearby clinic, she also died about a kilometre from their homestead.”

 

The police spokesperson revealed that the mother later admitted to knowing the garden had been sprayed, but allowed her children to harvest the vegetables because the family had run out of other relish.

 

He emphasized the preventable nature of the tragedy, saying, “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.”

 

The two bodies have been transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare for post-mortem and toxicology tests, while samples of the vegetables and the pesticide, identified as Imidacloprid, have been collected for forensic examination.

 

Authorities have indicated that potential charges against the mother will be determined once the official results are released.

 

In the wake of this incident, Assistant Inspector Chinyoka issued a stern public warning, urging extreme caution with agricultural chemicals.

 

“Pesticides are dangerous if mishandled, and people should never underestimate their potency,” he said.

 

“Communities must always observe waiting periods before harvesting or eating vegetables from sprayed gardens. Even small residues can be harmful, especially to children.”

 

He concluded by reinforcing critical safety protocols, stating, “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.”