Wild tuber kills two
By: JORGE THAWE, Lilongwe Malawi

The problem of food shortage that has rocked the country has coasted life of two people, whom opted for wild tubers in Zomba district.

Mid this year Her Excellency the State President Joyce Banda predicted that about 2 million Malawians will be affected by hunger during 2012 to 2013 farming season.

The President has therefore embarked on food distribution exercise in the whole country to poor households affected by the calamity.

Despite food distribution exercise it’s not all the Malawians that benefit from it, as a result some citizens opt for anything that seems edible to put in their stomach.

Over the weekend a two year child and his grand mother from Chingale in the district have died while five others have been successfully treated at Zomba general hospital, the District Health Officer confirmed this on Monday.

The District Health Officers’ office could not say whether or not it was hunger which drove this family to look for wild tubers suspected to have been poisonous.

“It’s premature to say they ate wild tubers due to acute food shortage, the Health Office is currently investigating the matter to establish the truth” said the District Commissioner Harry Phiri.