Sandile Nkosi hailed as Newcastle’s hero for his act of bravery
Sandile tried to remove the child from the unattended car but the doors were locked and the windows were closed.
Last week Tuesday, Sandile Nkosi went to work believing it was just another ordinary day – by the end of it he would be hailed as a hero.
Events surrounding the incident:
Ambling through the Shoprite parking lot, Sandile noticed an SUV slowly rolling towards him. Shocked and surprised he leapt out the vehicle’s pathway and as it glided past he happened to glance inside.
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To his amazement and horror, he realised that a child was trapped inside and had obviously been left unattended.
“The child was about 2 to 3 years old,” he recalled. “I noticed there was no driver and the child was moving around in the car and banging on the windows trying to get out,” he said bewilderedly.
Not having any time to think, Sandile jumped in front of the moving vehicle which had started to pick up speed.
With all the strength he could muster, he pushed back managing to bring the vehicle to a standstill and preventing what could have been a terrible accident.
Sandile tried to remove the child from the unattended car but the doors were locked and the windows were closed. To his surprise the toddler’s mother came rushing out from a nearby store where she had been shopping.
Upon security questioning her, according to Sandile, she blamed the child for releasing the handbrake causing the vehicle to roll.
“The child was far too young to move the handbrake herself,” explained Sandile, who believes the mother had never actually engaged the handbrake.
The mother sped away with her child before anything more could be done to address the issue of why the child had been locked in the vehicle in the first place.
The laws surrounding the criminal act:
Captain Jabulani Ncube, Newcastle SAPS Communication Officer, vehemently states that leaving a child unattended in a locked vehicle is a violation of the Children’s Act.
“Parents can indeed face criminal charges for child neglect and violating children’s rights,” he said.
Had the mother not arrived when she did, Sandile may have been forced to break a window to get the child out… but on what side of the law would he have found himself?
“Although we do not encourage such acts, the law provides that should it be a matter of life and death, the party involved may use his/her discretion pertaining to such circumstances,” confirmed Capt. Ncube.
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Praised for his bravery:
Nevertheless, Sandile’s boss and colleagues, some of whom witnessed the incident, have lauded him a hero for possibly having saved a young child’s life. “There are very few superheroes left in our town like Sandile,” gushed Niresh Sunderpersadh, the franchisee of food outlet, Barcelos, where Sandile works as a supervisor.
“He went beyond the call of duty by jumping in front of that moving car. I am exceptionally proud of him and it just goes to show that my employees have good attributes. They do not only worry about their work but also their duty to the community,” he stated proudly.
Capt. Ncube encouraged residents to inform police of such incidents and told parents to take extra precaution with regards to the treatment of children.
“The Child Helpline number is 080 005 5555 and can be dialed to report child neglect.”
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