*Elsa Swinden, 35, the woman accused of child neglect on social media recently, does not blame members of the public for the way they reacted to the posts as ‘they were based on photos and photos speak louder than words’. She decided to tell her side of the story during an exclusive interview with the Herald.
The alleged horrific living conditions and severe neglect of three minors in Venterspos in Westonaria shocked and prompted outrage among South Africans following a Facebook post on Thursday, 8 October in which Pixie Pink, a victim Advocate and Activist against Women and Child abuse shared details of what a child rescue team had come across in the area.
Among the allegations were that the children ate rotten food infested with maggots, had clearly not bathed for some time, had lice and fleas in their hair, as well as in their beds that hardly had bedding, and they were severely neglected.
Read initial article here: Three severely neglected minors rescued from horrendous living conditions in Venterspos
The Herald visited Swinden’s house on Friday, 16 October. On our arrival, we greeted Swinden and walked into the house through the back door. The kitchen was spotless, cupboards filled to the brim with all sorts of food that a family would need. There were also new pots, cutlery as well as a stove. The bedrooms as well as the bathroom were tidy, and so was the lounge.
The children, all still in their mother’s care, were dressed nicely with not a hair out of place, and they were extremely well-mannered.
Swinden has five children aged six, eight, ten, 11 and 18, not just three minors, as reported on social media.
She said she tried to explain that she had five children and that two of them were at a friend’s house, but people refused to believe her because they only saw three children at the house.
Swinden said she, her five kids and her husband arrived in Venterspos in late August this year to live in her husband’s brother’s house to start a new life as things did not work out for them on the East Rand. When they arrived in Venterspos they had just a double bed mattress and the clothes they were wearing, but that was only the start of their problems.
They found the brother not at the house, which was left in a bad state. Things just got worse for the family.
One night things turned sour between the couple and her husband left.
“I was trying to clean the house since my brother-in-law had left all his belongings here when he ran off, and then Pixie Pink came to the door unannounced and started making allegations.”
She added that her children’s hair was dirty because they were waiting for someone to bring them shampoo and a hairbrush.
“How can I wash my kids’ hair without shampoo? Head lice are a normal thing with kids who play outside,” said Swinden.
She explained that when Pixie arrived at their house, the children were playing outside making mud cakes, and that is why they were dirty.
As far as the accusations that the children are illiterate are concerned, the Herald saw first-hand that the children could indeed read and write.
According to Swinden the kids attended a school in Brakpan and confirmed they would be going to a primary school in Venterspos in 2021 as the school does not have enough capacity at this moment.
“Every time I tried to explain the situation to Pixie, she told me to stop lying,” said Swinden.
About the alleged drug use Swinden said Demi van Wyk, Director of Indigo Helping Hand Foundation tested her and her son the day after Pixie Pink claimed that they were on drugs.
“Pixie refused to show us the results of the drug tests that she made us take on the Thursday,” said Swinden.
According to Van Wyk, she tested them on Friday, 9 October and the results were negative. On Tuesday, 13 October they were tested again because Swinden’s son got a job and had to be tested, and again the tests were negative. “I am going to test them every week, but they will not know when,” said Van Wyk.
When Pixie Pink was approached regarding the allegations she had made about Swinden, her response was, “I stand by my information provided about the incident”.
Swinden said she is grateful to the community of Venterspos who are helping and supporting her in this difficult time. “It means a lot,” she said.
According to Sergeant Audrey Sefara, Westonaria Police spokesperson, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) conducted a preliminary investigation and no case was opened. A week later, Captain Arnel Prinsloo who is the Commander of the FCS Unit in Carletonville visited the family and found the mother and children to be okay.
“The Department of Social Development in Gauteng through our regional office in the West Rand Region is in control of the issue of the three neglected minors. The social workers in the West Rand Region are finalising [recommendations about] the action that should be taken. Very soon we will be able to tell what will happen to those three minors, and disclose the place of safety they will be taken to should the assessment report from the social workers indicate that a place of safety will be the best way to go,” said Thamsanqa Kenke, spokesperson of the MEC for Social Development in Gauteng.
*Pseudonym to protect the identity of the minors involved.
Photo’s taken by the Herald during the time of the interview:
