‘Poisoned’ tombo kills six

SIX people have died and three are in hospital at Grootfontein after drinking a potent home brew that wiped out half of the workforce at a farm 35 km east of the northern town.

Police yesterday confirmed that a home-brewed alcoholic drink caused the poisoning that killed the workers. However, investigations are underway to determine whether a certain chemical in the beverage might have killed the men who drank the maize-based brew.”The ones who drank a lot were the first to die.Some drank a little and threw it away after finding it tasted bad.But all the workers who drank the stuff had to go to the hospital,” said Sandra Felisberto, owner of farm Fiume where they were employed.Nothing seemed out of place last week Thursday when Masonga Ben Milonga began to concoct the drink in a “big drum” for a weekend of merry-making.Police suspect that Milonga might have brewed the drink with stolen maize that had been sprayed with pesticide.The workers started drinking it on Friday.That evening, one of the workers fell ill, said Felisberto in a telephone interview yesterday.He was rushed to the hospital at Grootfontein, where nurses suspected it was malaria.They sent him home after treatment.The first worker was vomiting and complained of diarrhoea.The following morning, 37-year-old Milonga, who brewed the “stuff”, himself needed to be rushed to hospital.”The first ones did not get better.They were shaking and screaming,” said Felisberto.Three more workers showed the same symptoms, including delirium.By Sunday night more workers had fallen ill.”They were saying their chests were burning and their hearts were suddenly beating very fast.It could not have been malaria,” said Felisberto, whose husband reported the mysterious incidents to the Police.The hospital staff began to suspect poisoning.They told the workers to drink a lot of milk to neutralise the poison.At least 12 workers were treated.Dr Farid Zam, Principal Medical Officer for the Grootfontein health district, said they admitted nine patients who were vomiting, confused and complaining of stomach pains.”Some were brought in unconscious, [or] they fell unconscious very quickly,” said Dr Zam, adding that “they drank something.That’s the story we [know].” By Monday morning, two workers had died.Late in the evening the same day, two more workers succumbed to the potion, which Police claim is tombo, but workers told Grootfontein councillor Peter Mbwale Kawana that it was “okatokele”.Two more workers died yesterday morning after a futile battle.Three workers remain in hospital in a stable condition, said Dr Zam.They are Weyulu Edward Ndinomolo (35), Sakaria Ndemoongela (29) and Frans Mangundu (33).”With God’s help, we hope we will save them,” said the doctor.The hospital said it had sent a “specimen” for toxicological tests and were waiting for results.Police named those who died as Dolian Kamati (27), Veiko Hamutenya (25), Benhard Shikongo (42), Milonga, Domingo Johannes (40), and Johannes Ndara (30).Dr Zam would not say what the actual cause was until the results were back, but doctors at the hospital have told him that similar incidents occur every two or three years.However, investigations are underway to determine whether a certain chemical in the beverage might have killed the men who drank the maize-based brew.”The ones who drank a lot were the first to die.Some drank a little and threw it away after finding it tasted bad.But all the workers who drank the stuff had to go to the hospital,” said Sandra Felisberto, owner of farm Fiume where they were employed.Nothing seemed out of place last week Thursday when Masonga Ben Milonga began to concoct the drink in a “big drum” for a weekend of merry-making.Police suspect that Milonga might have brewed the drink with stolen maize that had been sprayed with pesticide.The workers started drinking it on Friday.That evening, one of the workers fell ill, said Felisberto in a telephone interview yesterday.He was rushed to the hospital at Grootfontein, where nurses suspected it was malaria.They sent him home after treatment.The first worker was vomiting and complained of diarrhoea.The following morning, 37-year-old Milonga, who brewed the “stuff”, himself needed to be rushed to hospital.”The first ones did not get better.They were shaking and screaming,” said Felisberto.Three more workers showed the same symptoms, including delirium.By Sunday night more workers had fallen ill.”They were saying their chests were burning and their hearts were suddenly beating very fast.It could not have been malaria,” said Felisberto, whose husband reported the mysterious incidents to the Police.The hospital staff began to suspect poisoning.They told the workers to drink a lot of milk to neutralise the poison.At least 12 workers were treated.Dr Farid Zam, Principal Medical Officer for the Grootfontein health district, said they admitted nine patients who were vomiting, confused and complaining of stomach pains.”Some were brought in unconscious, [or] they fell unconscious very quickly,” said Dr Zam, adding that “they drank something.That’s the story we [know].” By Monday morning, two workers had died.Late in the evening the same day, two more workers succumbed to the potion, which Police claim is tombo, but workers told Grootfontein councillor Peter Mbwale Kawana that it was “okatokele”.Two more workers died yesterday morning after a futile battle.Three workers remain in hospital in a stable condition, said Dr Zam.They are Weyulu Edward Ndinomolo (35), Sakaria Ndemoongela (29) and Frans Mangundu (33).”With God’s help, we hope we will save them,” said the doctor.The hospital said it had sent a “specimen” for toxicological tests and were waiting for results.Police named those who died as Dolian Kamati (27), Veiko Hamutenya (25), Benhard Shikongo (42), Milonga, Domingo Johannes (40), and Johannes Ndara (30).Dr Zam would not say what the actual cause was until the results were back, but doctors at the hospital have told him that similar incidents occur every two or three years.