‘Hunger strike’ dad held ‘for taking kid’

One of the so-called “hunger strike” fathers was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly unlawfully took his minor child to visit him at the end of last week.

Over the weekend, Sicelo Mbonani contacted The Citizen after the police arrived at his house in Tsakane in Boksburg to arrest him for taking his son without the knowledge of the mother, who is in KwaZulu-Natal and refusing to return the child to the grandmother.

A friend Thabang Sheyi confirmed Mbonani was arrested and detained at the Tsakane police station. He said his friend is expected to appear in court today.

In February this year, Mbonani and Solomon Mondlane em-barked on an 11-day hunger strike outside the department of social development’s offices in Pretoria to protest for their rights to see their children. The strike ended when they were approached by officials who promised to assist them.

But both fathers said to date nothing has been done. Last week The Citizen met with Mbonani who decided to take his four-year-old son to visit him after spotting the child in his neighbourhood.

Mbonani believed a report, which he still has not seen, was the reason why he was not allowed to see his child.

Mondlane was allegedly allowed to see his child under super-vised visits because he refused to undergo a medical examination during a custody case. Advocate Tshepo Maponyane, from We Are Fathers organisation, said he was shocked to learn about Mbonani’s arrest.

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