THE grandmother accused of chaining up her six- year-old grandson is likely to remain behind bars until her trial has been finalised.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Deneo Koena said it had been established that the 71-year- old woman from Qweqwe near Mthatha had been convicted before of a similar offence.
Koena said the state opposed bail when she initially appeared in court on Monday.
“Checking her profile, it was established that she had been convicted of a similar offence – child abuse in contravention of the Child Care Act,” said Koena.
The case was postponed to Friday for further investigation and she was kept in custody.
Social development MEC Pemmy Majodina strongly condemned child abuse, “even if that is done by an elderly woman”.
“I will fight all types of abuse and violence irrespective who did it, be it age, sex or status.
“Abuse is a barbaric act. People must do unto others what they would like others to do to them.
“Grandmothers are known be caring and are not expected to be abusers,” said Majodina, who has set a high tone against the abuse of women and children in the Eastern Cape.
The woman’s neighbours, Lindikhaya Somakhwe and Mapotopoto Sangqu, said the grandmother was a church woman, but the boy and an elder brother were always crying.
Somakhwe and Sangqu said they remembered that the woman had been previously arrested for ill-treating the elder brother.
They said community members had on numerous occasions confronted the accused before about the allegations.
Neighbours confirmed the suspect had been staying alone with the six-year-old boy .
The boy was freed after spending hours chained up and hungry in his grandmother’s house.
The child, who had deep marks on his hands from having been bound with a long rusty chain and padlock, was allegedly locked up by his grandmother, who left the village to visit a friend in another village on Wednesday last week.
It is alleged the boy had been chained up for hours before a neighbour came to his rescue.
Social development regional spokeswoman Nosamakhe Nonxuba said the child was in a place of safety in Mthatha.
“He is already back at school and people have come forward to donate clothing for him.
“He looks happy now and mingles with other children. —
No bail for chained boy’s gogo
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Deneo Koena said it had been established that the 71-year- old woman from Qweqwe near Mthatha had been convicted before of a similar offence.
Koena said the state opposed bail when she initially appeared in court on Monday.
“Checking her profile, it was established that she had been convicted of a similar offence – child abuse in contravention of the Child Care Act,” said Koena.
The case was postponed to Friday for further investigation and she was kept in custody.
Social development MEC Pemmy Majodina strongly condemned child abuse, “even if that is done by an elderly woman”.
“I will fight all types of abuse and violence irrespective who did it, be it age, sex or status.
“Abuse is a barbaric act. People must do unto others what they would like others to do to them.
“Grandmothers are known be caring and are not expected to be abusers,” said Majodina, who has set a high tone against the abuse of women and children in the Eastern Cape.
The woman’s neighbours, Lindikhaya Somakhwe and Mapotopoto Sangqu, said the grandmother was a church woman, but the boy and an elder brother were always crying.
Somakhwe and Sangqu said they remembered that the woman had been previously arrested for ill-treating the elder brother.
They said community members had on numerous occasions confronted the accused before about the allegations.
Neighbours confirmed the suspect had been staying alone with the six-year-old boy .
The boy was freed after spending hours chained up and hungry in his grandmother’s house.
The child, who had deep marks on his hands from having been bound with a long rusty chain and padlock, was allegedly locked up by his grandmother, who left the village to visit a friend in another village on Wednesday last week.
It is alleged the boy had been chained up for hours before a neighbour came to his rescue.
Social development regional spokeswoman Nosamakhe Nonxuba said the child was in a place of safety in Mthatha.
“He is already back at school and people have come forward to donate clothing for him.
“He looks happy now and mingles with other children. —
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