MALELANE - Hawkers on the off-ramp to the Malelane Gate continued to make a roaring trade on Saturday despite a scare that certain oranges could have been injected with poison.

Most of them were quick to refute the claim, even brandishing certificates which granted their goods a clean bill of health. The poisoned-oranges-alert started when a warning was issued on a regional radio station regarding certain shady characters that are on the loose, dishing poisoned oranges to unsuspecting children.

It is not known why these characters have resorted to such desperate measures but communities had been warned to be on the look out.

Bongi Ngwenya, 28, of Matsulu is a part-time hawker whose wares consist mostly of oranges. “I have heard the rumour but our oranges are clean. We have certificates to prove that,” she said.

Mumsy Nkosi, 44, of Kamhlushwa also laughed off any suggestion that the rumour may scare customers. “I have not seen any notable drop in sales. Customers are buying oranges and other fruits as usual, she commented.

Captain Rose Qwabe of the Tonga police has shed some light on the issue. “This was reported to the police during a stakeholders’ meeting where preparations for an anti-abuse campaign were made. The individual told of a vehicle which drives around villages, issuing out oranges to children. As he was still relating the story to the police a vehicle fitting the description he gave to them drove past, towards the direction of Malelane. When police got into their cars to give chase it was already too late. We are collecting as much statements as we can from those who can come forward with information. And we hope that it is not a hoax as we don’t want to spend state resources on cooked-up hearsays like the recent one on cannibals. However, we encourage villagers to be on high-alert,” she indicated.