Childline raises alarm after baby abandonment case in northern KZN
An Osizweni woman was sentenced to eight years in prison for abandoning her four-month-old baby. Her repeated absence, sometimes lasting weeks, prompted the child’s grandmother to open a case with police.
Child protection groups in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are warning of the devastating and long-lasting impact of neglect on vulnerable children.
This, after a northern KZN mother was sentenced to eight years in prison for child abandonment in the Madadeni Regional Court.
The 36-year-old woman pleaded guilty to charges of child abuse and child neglect involving her four-month-old infant.
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The mother left her baby for weeks
It is understood that she repeatedly left her baby at home in Osizweni for days and sometimes weeks, between March and August last year.
This prompted the baby's grandmother to open a case with police.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KZN says that on these occasions, the woman would leave her infant child in the care of her mother.
“Upon her return, the accused’s mother would reprimand her, expressing concern that the infant needed to be breastfed.
“However, the accused ignored these concerns and continued to disappear from home for days and sometimes weeks at a time,” says NPA KZN spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
“On one such occasion, after the accused had again left the child behind and failed to return, her mother opened a case with the police. When the accused eventually returned home, she was arrested.”
Families and communities must intervene
Childline KZN's Adeshni Naicker says child neglect is among the most common forms of child abuse.
“Strong sentences are definitely a deterrent and send out a message that child abuse and neglect are serious crimes. However, prevention also requires education, community awareness, and support for families before situations escalate,” says Naicker.
“Protecting children is everyone's responsibility. Communities, families, and neighbours should report concerns to the relevant organisations.”
Naicker says people should not be afraid to intervene.
If they suspect a child is being neglected, nobody should look the other way and be afraid to get involved. Remember, it takes a community to raise a child.
Last year, a KZN-based non-profit said it had identified poverty and neglect as the leading causes of child labour in the province.
It followed police raiding two clothing factories in northern KZN in which authorities said a 14-year-old boy, allegedly working in one of the companies, was removed from the premises.
Sinikiwe Biyela from LifeLine Pietermaritzburg says child labour is more common than people realise.
She explained that the problem often stems from families struggling with hunger and unemployment.
Biyela says some children are also required to take care of their siblings or cover school-related expenses such as uniforms.
She says, in some cases, parents or guardians themselves unintentionally contribute to the exploitation of children.
"Sometimes you find that the granny or the mother is working for this particular household as a domestic worker, and on the day that the mother is sick or the mother has another commitment and they can't make it, but they don't want to lose the income for the day, they will then send the child to go and stand in,” says Biyela.
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