Drugs not to blame for vetkoek deaths’, family may sue Mayco member

Cape Town - The families of three friends from Langa, who died mysteriously after eating vetkoek and polony, say suggestions the teenage boys died of possible drug use is malicious and unfounded as they await the results of a post-mortem.

One of the families said they were planning to sue Mayco member for Safety, Security and Social Services JP Smith for his comments indicating drug use could be to blame. 

They are also unhappy with not yet having answers to how their children died. The families plan to bury their loved ones this weekend.

Friends Athule Makonzi, 15, Khanyisa Mtamzeli and Mzingisi Gobecimele, 17, died on August 27, apparently after eating the vetkoek the previous day.

Their friend Athabile Simayile, 17, who shared the meal, survived and was discharged from Somerset Hospital four days later.

Smith last week said that the police “indicated that it does not appear to be food poisoning and that it appears that the children mixed other substances into their food”.

Smith said the autopsies had been concluded, but the police would need the toxicology reports to confirm suspicions of possible drug use or other potential types of poisoning.

Khanyisa’s family member Nosiphelele Msesiwe said: “We are disappointed by (Smith’s) false statements.

“Luckily one boy survived because he took a small bite of polony, not drugs, and luckily he is the one who came with information of what happened. We believe that it will be easy for the SAPS to investigate further.”

They appealed to Smith not to make assumptions without having spoken to the families.

Athule’s family member Bulelwa Makonzi said she was anxiously awaiting the post-mortem report to reveal the cause of her son’s death. She said family members needed to know the results urgently.

Nomsa Tikiteni, 42, the aunt of the third victim, Mzingisi, said it was frustrating not to have received the results yet.

She said reports that the teenagers were killed by drugs were damaging to the families.

“How can anyone suggest that when the post-mortem has not yet been released? Where is he (Smith) getting the information?” she asked.

Smith responded yesterday, saying that what he had reported was the “information supplied to me by the environmental health services in Cape Town. 

They would have got it from the SAPS. The information was scrutinised, and it is correct to say there were substances.”

SAPS spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said police were still investigating, and that reports were still outstanding.