SIX kinders were rushed to hospital after allegedly collapsing, vomiting and struggling to breathe after drinking cooldrink bought from a spaza shop in Ottery.
Four of the children belong to Sakeena Adam and her husband, while the other two are friends of the family.
Adam said she and her husband sent the kinders, between the ages of six and 15, to the winkel on Saturday evening to buy two bottles of cooldrink before supper.
The children returned with a Coke for the adults and a separate flavoured cooldrink for themselves.
About an hour later, after the kids drank their cooldrink, they began complaining of headaches.
Adam said her eldest son shouted for his father after noticing that something was wrong with one of the younger children.
Adam said her asthmatic 15-year-old daughter needed cardiopulmonary and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, while the other children vomited and coughed up blood.
An ambulance was called, and the six children were transported to three different hospitals.
The mother alleged that tests conducted at the hospitals detected several drugs in the children’s systems, including heroin, tik, cannabis, ecstasy, a date-rape drug, Xanax and other drugs.
She said: “My kids were tested and they found seven types of drugs in them. Heroin, tik, cannabis, ecstasy, a date-rape drug, Xanax and other drugs.
“All of them were tested, and the cooldrink was tested as well. They found the drugs in the drink.”
Adam said the boys were treated at other facilities, while the six-year-old remained at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital until Monday.
The owner of the property in which the huiswinkel operates said she closed the shop, while the shop manager claimed they don’t know how this happened.
The shop manager, who identified himself as Jimmy, said he could not understand how the incident had occurred and denied that those operating the shop intended to harm anyone.
“We buy our supplies from a cash-and-carry in Khayelitsha. We do not know how this happened,” he said.
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed that Philippi police had opened an enquiry.
“The cooldrink has been taken to the forensic laboratory for testing. The investigation is ongoing,” Gwala said.
This is a developing story.