A woman aged 37 from Zvimba District, Mashonaland West Province, appeared in front of the Chinhoyi Magistrates Court on Monday, where she was accused of attempted murder.
Also Read: Alarming Incident: 8 Students Fall Ill After Ingesting Poisoned Lunch
The National Prosecuting Authority stated that the defendant allegedly prepared poisoned food and gave it to her daughter to distribute to her peers at Matoranhimbe Primary School. As a result, six children at the school experienced stomach complications after consuming the food.
The defendant was detained on the 20th of June pending a bail application.
On Sunday, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), announced that eight students fell ill on Friday after eating rice and soup at the school.
According to Comm Nyathi, the students began vomiting and complaining of stomach pains after consuming rice and soup from their packed lunch boxes. They were then taken to Murombedzi Rural Hospital for treatment.
Investigations carried out by the police revealed that a fellow school pupil brought the lunch box which contained home-prepared food after being given two lunch boxes by her parent. The parent gave her instructions on how to share the food.
Some people say parents should teach their children not to eat everywhere, and authorities should investigate possible bullying at the school, which may have led the parent to take drastic action.
