Enough of children dying

Death is an inevitable part of a human being's life cycle but as South Africans, we seem to have allowed ourselves to get used to it.

- Thembe Ia Khamango

We have seen an increase in children dying of foodborne illnesses, with 11 dying in the past five weeks and more than 300 hospitalized. We are outraged for a day or two then move on as if nothing had happened, until the next case is reported.

On Monday, 10-year-old Lesedi Maaboi died after consuming chips bought from a spaza shop in Alexandra. Two more children, six-year-old Owami and nine-year-old Hope Xaba, also died in similar circumstances at their Ekurhuleni home last week.

This came after a two-year-old died the same way in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.

One expects citizens to be up in arms, calling on authorities to take urgent action against informal traders. But not us, we will be shocked when another kid dies, as if it is the first time.

It is as if we made peace with the kids dying like this. Poor us, what can we do?