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KwaZulu–Natal crime intelligence has been roped in to crack the horror case involving the deaths of four people in KwaMashu, including two teenagers, after they took a toxic concoction of an illegal narcotic, ecstasy.
The police’s Major Thulani Zwane confirmed to City Press on Friday that a task team comprising crime intelligence and local police had been set up with the urgent task of nabbing the dealer and weeding out the deadly ecstasy concoction popularly known as Mercedes.
Top of the agenda was to find samples to send for laboratory testing to identify the fatal ingredients.
“We are sitting with a situation where we know that the drug is toxic because people have died and 32 others were hospitalised, but we do not know what substances were contained in it.
“We need to get the dealer and the drug itself so that we can send it for laboratory testing,” said Zwane.
City Press has learnt that urine samples were taken from 32 youngsters who were hospitalised after taking the drug. The samples are undergoing testing to determine what the active ingredients might be.
Zwane refused to say whether the surviving 32 people, who were admitted to various hospitals around Durban between last Friday and Monday this week, had given them any leads.
“You will appreciate the sensitivity of [the investigations] since we are trying to get to the dealer.
“What I can tell you now is that some of those who were hospitalised are still confused due to the side effects of the drug and are not sober enough to give us accurate statements.”
The deaths and hospitalisations of the youngsters shocked KwaZulu-Natal authorities this week.
The news of the tragedy broke on Monday when reports surfaced that scores of teenagers from KwaMashu, north of Durban, had been admitted to the King Dinuzulu and RK Khan hospitals after allegedly taking the toxic ecstasy drug.
The teenagers had been celebrating at a term-end party and apparently spent Friday night drinking, smoking and taking drugs. The gathering, popularly referred to as an Explosion Party, was held at K Section in KwaMashu and started at about 6pm.
Siyabonga Mngadi (19) and Simphiwe Dludla (18) were at the party with a friend and schoolmate. They both died early on Saturday in what family members believe was an overdose.
Speaking at her home in KwaMashu, Khanyi Mngadi, Siyabonga’s cousin, told City Press that they got a call at about 3am on Saturday telling them there was a problem with her cousin.
“The caller told us Siyabonga was lying on the ground and unresponsive. Because I have just given birth, I told my brother to go and find out what was happening, as the party was a few streets away.”
“He got there and found Siyabonga convulsing. He was worried and wanted to take him to the Poly Clinic [in KwaMashu] but his friends said it was normal after taking too much of the stuff.
“After some time, Siyabonga stopped convulsing. I think he must have died. His friends refused to believe he was dead, arguing that he might look dead and be taken to the mortuary only to wake-up later,” said Mngadi.
He was eventually rushed to the clinic and pronounced dead on arrival. Police are yet to reveal more details surrounding Dludla. It is not clear if he also died at the scene or on his way to the clinic.
The two other people who died after taking the ecstasy, Mduduzi Zakwe (29) and Nokwanda Mvula (25) were also from KwaMashu. Mvula died on March 19 and Zakwe two days later (March 21).
The police have not ruled out the possibility that these three cases are related, as all the deceased were from KwaMashu.
“We can’t really say right now if these cases are linked because they happened at different times and locations,” he said.
Zwane said Mvula had gone to Umlazi township, southwest of Durban, on March 15 and returned to her home in KwaMashu disoriented, vomiting and hallucinating.
“She was taken to a hospital, where she died four days later. It is not clear if Zakwe was at the party. The police are still investigating his death.”
