A child of eight and her twin baby siblings have been taken by the department of social development to a place of safety.
According to the department and neighbours, the children’s mother would leave them by themselves in her Zimbane Valley home and go to work at a local retail store.
She would not return until around 9pm when the children were already asleep. The eight-year-old daughter was kept out of school to look after the twins.
The children’s plight was reported by a concerned Mthatha resident, Sicelo Mqwathi, who alerted the recently launched department of social development call centre.
Mqwathi, a local private investigator, was working on another matter when he went to the house to look for the woman and found the children.
“When I inquired further I was told she leaves the twins in the care of the eight-year-old while she goes to work and only returns at night,” said Mqwathi.
He said after numerous attempts at trying to find help, he contacted the call centre, which responded and investigated immediately. Mqwathi and social workers went to the house to rescue the three children.
“There was no food in the house. The older child told us they finished the only porridge they had left at 10am that morning. The children were hungry,” he said.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the woman’s home yesterday the doors were locked and the gate was locked with a chain and a huge padlock.
Neighbours who spoke to the Dispatch on condition of anonymity said the woman kept to herself. “She used to lock the gate and would not allow her daughter to go outside to play with others.
“She always locked herself inside when she was around.
“The girl is traumatised. If she said anything to anyone about her situation, she would be beaten up by her mother,” claimed one neighbour.
The woman would allegedly leave mielie-meal for the eight-year-old to make porridge for the children.
One neighbour said the woman’s daughter had to wash the twin’s clothes and change their nappies as well.
“They would cry in there and when they both cried, she would put one kid on her back and hold the other. It was a sad sight.
“We had no idea this was going on till last month. She did not like people meddling in her affairs so we did not interfere,” she said.
Social development spokesman Gcobani Maswana lauded Mqwathi’s action and those of social workers in Mthatha.
“This is tragic. It is a criminal offence. She has been arrested and the kids are now in a place of safety thanks to the quick response of our social workers.”
Maswana said their call centre would help the department address different social challenges faced by vulnerable members of the community.
A social development employee who interacted with the kids said the older sibling looked nervous and refused to divulge any information to social workers.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela could not provide information about the woman’s arrest at the time of writing. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Girl, 8, left to care for twins
According to the department and neighbours, the children’s mother would leave them by themselves in her Zimbane Valley home and go to work at a local retail store.
She would not return until around 9pm when the children were already asleep. The eight-year-old daughter was kept out of school to look after the twins.
The children’s plight was reported by a concerned Mthatha resident, Sicelo Mqwathi, who alerted the recently launched department of social development call centre.
Mqwathi, a local private investigator, was working on another matter when he went to the house to look for the woman and found the children.
“When I inquired further I was told she leaves the twins in the care of the eight-year-old while she goes to work and only returns at night,” said Mqwathi.
He said after numerous attempts at trying to find help, he contacted the call centre, which responded and investigated immediately. Mqwathi and social workers went to the house to rescue the three children.
“There was no food in the house. The older child told us they finished the only porridge they had left at 10am that morning. The children were hungry,” he said.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the woman’s home yesterday the doors were locked and the gate was locked with a chain and a huge padlock.
Neighbours who spoke to the Dispatch on condition of anonymity said the woman kept to herself. “She used to lock the gate and would not allow her daughter to go outside to play with others.
“She always locked herself inside when she was around.
“The girl is traumatised. If she said anything to anyone about her situation, she would be beaten up by her mother,” claimed one neighbour.
The woman would allegedly leave mielie-meal for the eight-year-old to make porridge for the children.
One neighbour said the woman’s daughter had to wash the twin’s clothes and change their nappies as well.
“They would cry in there and when they both cried, she would put one kid on her back and hold the other. It was a sad sight.
“We had no idea this was going on till last month. She did not like people meddling in her affairs so we did not interfere,” she said.
Social development spokesman Gcobani Maswana lauded Mqwathi’s action and those of social workers in Mthatha.
“This is tragic. It is a criminal offence. She has been arrested and the kids are now in a place of safety thanks to the quick response of our social workers.”
Maswana said their call centre would help the department address different social challenges faced by vulnerable members of the community.
A social development employee who interacted with the kids said the older sibling looked nervous and refused to divulge any information to social workers.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela could not provide information about the woman’s arrest at the time of writing. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
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