A primary school child, still in his school uniform, was found beaten, strangled and left for dead in the Mvuzini River in Mondlo.
He was discovered late Wednesday evening by passers-by. Luckily, the boy was thrown into shallow waters, or he may have drowned.
Cllr Abigail Khumalo of Ward 17 told the Vryheid Herald that the boy had suffered such a severe beating to his head and face that he was incapable of telling his rescuers who he was or what had happened to him.
The boy was eventually given pen and paper and encouraged to write down this information so that police officers could begin their investigation.
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It is believed that the boy had been walking to school that morning with his friends when they were approached by an unknown man.
The man allegedly instructed the children to consume a, “white powder,” as he forced them to walk along a path close to the river.
He became aggressive when the boy started screaming to draw the attention to what was happening.
That is when the kidnapper beat the young boy, and strangled him with his school tie before tossing him into the river, assuming the boy was dead. However, the boy had just lost consciousness.
According to Cllr Khumalo, the boy has been taken to Vryheid Hospital, where he is recovering well under the care of medical staff.
Cllr Khumalo encouraged parents to exercise vigilance where their children are concerned, and urged that children be wary of strangers and never consume anything offered to them by strangers.
