JOHANNESBURG – A nine-year-old boy has died in Diepkloof, Soweto, in a suspected case of food poisoning, marking the latest death in a series of similar incidents that have claimed over 20 children’s lives.

Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo confirmed the child was found unresponsive Monday morning after eating dinner the previous night. The source of the food remains unknown.

The death follows last week’s fatal poisoning of five-year-old Siyabonga Mnisi, also from Diepkloof, who died after allegedly consuming snacks from a local spaza shop.

“We have opened an inquest docket and are investigating circumstances that led to the death,” Masondo said. A postmortem will determine the cause of death.

The incident adds pressure on government efforts to regulate spaza shops amid a surge in food poisoning deaths. Over 20 children have died in recent incidents, prompting calls for stricter oversight of informal food retailers.

Local authorities await toxicology reports while continuing investigations into the source of contaminated food products in the area.