One dies as food poisoning stalks Chihota family

believed to have been laced with poison in Chihota last weekend.
This is the fourth such incident to hit the Jaiwa family since 1992.
Two other family members have died after consuming food that was said to have been poisoned.
In the latest case, Snowledge Jaiwa failed to make it to the local clinic in time after taking the tea.
His parents Silas (29) and Prisca Jaiwa (24), grandmother Noriet Seriwa (58), and other relatives had already been taken to the clinic before being transferred to Marondera General Hospital.
Two members who were in a critical condition were taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare.
Narrating the tragedy that continues to stalk the family, Mbuya Noriet said they were all disturbed that such deaths haunt them.
“Post-mortem results revealed that Snowledge died of food poisoning but I am still confused since I am the one who prepared the tea which we all took.
“I made the tea on Friday morning and took it with six of my grandchildren before bottling some in a two-litre container which I took to church for those who had gone ahead of us.
“My daughter-in-law, Prisca, however, failed to go to church as she was already complaining of stomach pains but we thought it was not serious and we told her to rest. We went back home in the evening, around 5pm, and Prisca was still in pain.
“I made the salt and sugar solution and gave her,” she said.
At that time, other family members started complaining about abdominal pains.
“My son and my grandchildren were vomiting uncontrollably and they also had diarrhoea.
“I did not know where to start and who to help first since everyone was now in pain and my husband was not at home.
“Then I also started feeling the same way but as an elder I had to remain strong,” she said.
Mbuya Noriet’s husband, who is village headman Mr Lovemore Njodzi Jaiwa, said he returned home around 9pm to find his whole homestead had fallen ill.
“I managed to get help and was given a scorch-cart to ferry my family to Madamombe Clinic.
“The scotch-cart was very small and could only accommodate five people.
“So I made two trips to the clinic and on the second trip, we discovered that Snowledge was already dead.
“I did not know how to tell the others about this.
“They were transferred to Marondera General Hospital and Parirenyatwa for specialist attention while Snowledge was taken to Marondera Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem.”
The boy, who was in Grade Three, was buried on Tuesday at the family homestead.
According to Headman Jaiwa, this was not the first time a family member had died from poisoning.
“In 1992 a similar incident occurred and my grandson Leon, who was three-years-old died.
“In 2004 Calvin also died in the same way. I escaped death by a whisker last year when I suffered the same pain after eating food at home.
“We are yet to ascertain the root cause of these things,” he said.
Mbuya Noriet told The Herald that the “Holy Spirit” had told her a week ago about the looming tragedy.