Update: #Môrester150 moved to children’s homes all over KZN
An autistic child was removed, along with an epileptic child, a child with a skin disease, one with asthma and also children that are on ARVs, all with no medicine
The 150 children (including babies) that were removed from Môrester Children’s Home by the Department of Social Development (DSD) have been moved to children’s homes all around KZN.
Speaking to Lizette van Niekerk, the director at the home, she says that Friday was a traumatic day for all the children at the home.
On Wednesday (February 13), she received a message from the DSD that they were coming to remove the children. On Thursday, department officials arrived at the home without any paperwork / orders and left when Morester refused to let them take any of the children without the proper paperwork.
On Friday, DSD members arrived in larger numbers, along with heavily armed police, and removed the children.
Lizette says she could only fight up until a certain point and that it was getting too traumatic for the children.
She told the DSD officials to rather take her away and leave the children if allegations of child abuse have been made.
Also read: Update: Department removes 150 children from Môrester in Ladysmith
What was even more disturbing for Lizette is that the children did not want to go. Many of them are sick and the DSD did not have any medication for the children or even know what medical conditions they suffer from. She says an autistic child was removed, along with an epileptic child, a child with a skin disease and also children that are on ARVs, all with no medicine.
Lizette says the children were “overloaded” into DSD vehicles and there were no car seats for the babies.
Môrester will be getting a High Court interdict to try and get all their children back.
“With my whole heart, the proof will be revealed and it will be shown that nothing is wrong,” laments Lizette.
Throughout the day on Saturday, Lizette and the home received calls from concerned parents, asking where their children are and if they haven’t fallen victim to child trafficking, as they cannot be located.
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