Chronicle Editor
Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
IN a heart-rending case of child neglect, three children in Nyamandlovu, Matabeleland North Province are living by themselves, with the eldest sibling aged about eight acting as the head of the family.
The boy and his two sisters suspected to be two and five years old were left by their mother in the care of a maid who left them to look for employment nearby as she was not being paid.
The maid is said to occasionally come to sleep at the homestead resulting in the trio spending most of the time alone. The former maid does not get time to bath them or wash their clothes as evidenced by the dirty clothes and their bodies.
A Chronicle news crew visited the homestead yesterday and was met by the trio outside their homestead on the road.
The boy was carrying his youngest sister on his back while the second born was by his side.
In a sign of neglect and lack of care, her face was filled with mucus and being a child she was playing mixing soil and water while her two siblings entertained the news crew.
The homestead has one hut with visible openings on the grass thatched roof.
In a makeshift kitchen made of zinc and poles, a goat was feeding on their only mealie-meal which was in a black bucket.
“Umama usegoli wahamba kudala (Our mother went to South Africa long back.) We are suffering because we do not have food.
We have to go around asking from people and if they give us I cook and we eat with my sisters. We do not have soap for bathing and washing our clothes and blankets, “the boy said.
He said he went to school up to Grade Two but does not remember when that was.
The second born who has not yet been to school said she is the one who helps clean her young sister when she soils herself.
Unbelievably, the two said when they communicated with their mother telling her about their plight using the maid’s phone, she allegedly told them to tell the maid to use her body to make money.
“We sometimes sleep by ourself in the house if umamncane does not come. We also fetch water for cooking and other uses. At times we sleep on empty stomachs and when this happens our little sister wakes up and starts crying of hunger. Umamncane goes early in the morning to work. Our mother does not want us to tell people about our situation because if we do she will say ‘siyaphapha’,” said the young boy.
Asked on what they want the boy responded, “Sifuna basithathe bayesigcina lapho abangasigcina khona ngoba umamawethu kasinakekeli. (We want to be taken somewhere where we can be cared for because our mother does not take care of us.)”
In a telephone interview, the maid who was employed to take care of the three children Ms Thubambile Mudimba (24) said she is struggling to support the three as she has her own two children in Binga.
She said the youngest kid was brought home from South Africa in December last year in an unhealthy condition.
“I came here in June last year and found these children suffering. I found them badly beaten by a boy who is a relative and took them to hospital and reported the matter to police. He was arrested but I don’t know how the case ended because he was released. I was being paid ZAR 600 by three people as there were two other children I was taking care of,” she said.
Ms Mudimba said when she informed the mothers about the beatings and the condition of the children, they came but only stayed for an hour before going to Bulawayo.
“The other two kids were taken by their relatives. I do piece jobs to support my two kids and I am finding it difficult to support these three. I bath them but I don’t have soap. Their mother told me to use igwayi lami to support these children but how can I do that to support another woman’s children,” she said.
Ms Mudimba said due to hunger the kids sometimes move around looking for wild fruits.
A neighbour who is also the chairperson for the Nyamandlovu Farmers Consortium, Mr Alton Gumede said the children’s situation is heart-breaking and something must be done.
He said they have reached out to social welfare who have since visited the homestead.
“We realised that the situation was not good because this is a perfect example of child abuse. We feared the kids could die as they have no parental care. These children are just street-kids. We have managed to locate their mother in South Africa and when she was briefed about the situation, she said she was also struggling in South Africa. But we are expecting her to come any day from now and we will map a way forward afterwards. We have people from this community based outside the country who are willing to support the children and even pay for their school fees,” he said.
Mr Gumede said they have been assisting the three children with food but what was pressing was the need for proper care and medical check-ups as the young one is not healthy due to poor care.
He challenged the three children`s father to show up and be man enough to take care of his children. “It is clear the mother is struggling and the father should take responsibility. These could be our future managers and ministers,” he said.
An official from the Social Welfare Department said he could not comment on the case without being cleared by his seniors. – @themkhust.
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