Forsaken children: Westenburg youth in spotlight

Concern about the alleged abuse of a young boy in Westenburg brought to the fore perceived ills that exposed the persistent vulnerability of young children in the neighbourhood, a situation that seemingly begs for drastic intervention.
The situation was brought to Polokwane Observer’s attention when given a lead to a house in Mohamed Avenue in Westenburg mid-morning on Friday where concerned community members, Police officials and representatives of the African National Congress (ANC) caucus in the Legislature converged to follow up on allegations of abuse of a boy of around 11 years. Alarm was raised about the child allegedly being left to his own devices when deprived of food, beaten with different objects and left to sleep outside in the chicken coop over a period of time.
At the time the yard was deserted as it was learnt that both parents were out working and the boy and his two sisters at school. The only sign of life, the few fowl kept in the chicken run in the backyard sandwiched between two shacks.
Upon exiting a source approached with information about the suspected abuse of the boy and his two older sisters having prevailed for over two years now. The situation reportedly led to people in the neighbourhood threatening the parents to take action if the situation continued, the source said. It was pointed out that shoes and electric cords were used in allegedly abusing the children.
Polokwane Observer was pointed in the direction of an equally worrisome case of alleged neglect at a dwelling situated adjacent to a spaza shop in the next street, where the party headed to find a diabetic woman residing in a house with ten children. One of her children, it was established, was 22 years old, pregnant and already the mother of four. Concern was raised about men staying over at the two-room abode with their women from time to time.
On the way there a scene of four toddlers playing unaccompanied attracted attention on a pavement.
Off the street outside the spaza shop a girl of 8 years, who was hanging out with her marble-playing brother and two friends around noon, started making small talk. Asked why they were not in school, she informed the visitor that her mother was sick in bed with a cold, that she didn’t have a clean uniform for school and only had a dirty jersey and trousers, apart from the dress she wore. Also their mother didn’t have money for them to spend during entrepreneurs’ day at Good Hope Primary School on Friday. On behalf of her brother she asked for money for bread.
From opposite the road a boy of school-going age observed the outsiders with curiosity.
A much older boy passed and when questioned by a Policeman about the reason for him not attending school, responded saying they had slept too late and had no water that morning.
While in Westenburg on Friday Lorraine Mabotse Mothiba, a former Polokwane PR Councillor who was initially alerted about the situation, expressed concern about children in the area loitering in the street at a time when they were supposed to be attending school. She described the situation as chaotic and said it called for societal intervention. She afterwards indicated that a social worker undertook to investigate the matter.
On Friday Phuti Lekganyane, who was present on behalf of the caucus of the ANC in the Legislature, said the situation reiterated the need for involvement in the area by a conglomerate of government departments. At the time of going to press he said they had received confirmation from the Department of Social Development on Friday that a social worker would have been assigned to the case. Attempts to reach Polokwane ANC Councillor for Ward 19, Hafiz Shaikh before deadline were fruitless.
>> On 10 March last year Polokwane Observer reported on a similar situation in Westenburg, depicted with accompanying photos, which resulted in threats and a racist label. As watch dogs of our society we will continue to report on situations highlighted by the community, and will endeavour to do so without fear or favour – Ed

Story & photos: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com